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Summarised by Centrist
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington just hours before the United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire, giving the timing of the meeting an added significance.
According to Stuff, Rubio “outlined US progress towards ending the war” while Peters raised the “significant negative economic impacts on New Zealand, and our Pacific neighbours” and pushed for “dialogue and de-escalation”.
The meeting took place at about 2 am Wednesday New Zealand time, and lasted around 40 minutes. Afterwards, Peters told Stuff he still believed the conflict would end much sooner than many expected. “As things emerge later today, there could be developments,” he said, adding that “there will be a shorter outcome than many people suspect or are forecasting.” Hours later, a major ceasefire announcement was made.
Peters’ official ceasefire statement later appeared to underline the connection in timing, saying: “As we discussed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio today, this conflict has had wide-ranging impacts and disruptions” for both the Middle East and countries further afield, including New Zealand and the Pacific.
Asked by journalist Jenna Lynch how much influence a small country like New Zealand can have, Peters said established democracies such as New Zealand “earn, rightfully, respect. And we’re still respected.” On the evidence available, Wellington was not brokering the ceasefire. But it was plainly in the room, making its case, shortly before the biggest diplomatic turn in the crisis so far.
Read more over at Stuff, The Beehive, Newsroom, and The Guardian
