Joint Statement by John Key and Angela Merkel   2 Dec 2015

John Key

2 DECEMBER, 2015

Joint Press Statement by Prime Minister John Key and Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel on the Occasion of Prime Minister John Key’s Visit to Germany on 1 December 2015

We have today welcomed the intensification of relations between Germany and New Zealand in the year since the Federal Chancellor’s visit to New Zealand in November 2014, reaffirming that our partnership is defined by shared values, vibrant political, economic, scientific and cultural engagement, strong people to people links and close cooperation on a range of international issues.

We welcomed the increased tempo of visits by senior political figures in both directions, as well as productive engagement on a wide range of global issues. We look forward to a continuing pattern of regular political level visits and dialogue. This engagement will be supplemented from 2016 with the inaugural visit to New Zealand of the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Fellow for Germany.

Consistent with our agreement in 2014, there has been an increasing breadth of discussion between the two governments. We have directed senior officials to continue to take regular opportunities to share perspectives and experiences on issues of mutual interest, in particular including international and regional political, economic and security matters.

We appreciated the growing trade and investment ties between our countries. We welcomed the recent successful conclusion of negotiations between New Zealand and the European Union for the Partnership Agreement on Relations and Cooperation, which provides a formal structure for relations between New Zealand and the European Union. We also warmly welcomed the announcement that the EU and New Zealand will start the process for negotiations to achieve swiftly a deep and comprehensive high-quality Free Trade Agreement, and we look forward to this taking place as soon as possible.

Science and innovation engagement has gathered further momentum over the last year. Collaboration in medical robotics between the University of Auckland’s Bioengineering Institute and the German Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA has now achieved the status of an ICON project; and further joint scientific endeavour is under way, notably in agricultural sciences.

Yesterday, we both took part in the High-Level Opening Meeting of the 21st Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris at the invitation of French President Francois Hollande. Both countries strongly support the adoption of an ambitious, durable, comprehensive and legally binding agreement to hold the increase in global average temperature below 2°C above pre industrial levels and will work towards a successful outcome of the Conference. We also joined 37 other countries to support a Communiqué calling on the international community to eliminate inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies as a major contribution to climate change mitigation.

Shared values have reinforced our mutual interest in close engagement on significant international developments, including on Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, international refugee and migration issues and relations with countries in Asia. We agreed on the importance of promoting the resolution of maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law.

We are committed to fully utilising the potential of the Working Holiday Programme. Our common interest in promoting peace and international security, as well as higher education, will be given tangible recognition through a New Zealand Prime Minister’s Peace and Security Scholarship for a German student to undertake Master’s study in New Zealand.

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