Australian FM visits New Zealand for talks

Australia's new foreign minister on Thursday made New Zealand the first stop on her third Pacific trip in a month.Foreign Minister Penny Wong is promoting her administration's stronger ambition on curbing greenhouse gas emissions as evidence that her administration shares the South Pacific's primary security concern: climate change.

Penny Wong, Australian Foreign Minister said “So, part of why I wanted to engage really early was because I think we do have some ground to make up. And we want to demonstrate we bring commitment stronger and more ambitious commitments on climate, because we actually think it matters."

Australia formally committed on Thursday to reducing emissions by 43% by the end of the decade.

Nanaia Mahuta, New Zealand Foreign Minister said "We have both recognized that the Pacific is a contested space. And so by working together, it will be important to ensure that we work alongside the Pacific as they define their priorities, but also the way in which we partner the Pacific on their biggest issues like climate change, like economic resilience, are areas where we've identified there are opportunities for us to work together."

Wong will, on Friday, become the first Australian minister to visit the Solomon Islands since its government signed a security pact with China.