Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Minister of Justice

Hon Phil Goff
Media Advisory

14 September 2001

Goff to discuss terrorist attacks during visit to Europe and New York

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Phil Goff, leaves tomorrow for Brussels, London and Dublin. He will be in New York from 23-27 September.

“After the events of this week, a key subject in the discussions I will be having in Europe and New York will be how to combat international terrorism”, Mr Goff said.

“In Europe I will be meeting with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, European Union Foreign and Security Representative Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten. I will also be meeting the Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen. These meetings will be valuable to share perspectives with European leaders on an agenda for action against terrorism.

“Immediate action is necessary to identify, track down and hold to account the terrorists behind the attacks. Longer term, we need to determine what the international community must do to eradicate terrorism and help resolve conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli dispute that create the environment in which terrorists can thrive. These are global security issues in which all countries, New Zealand included, have a part to play.

“New Zealand will be raising the need for action to stem the flow of refugees and asylum seekers and respond to the needs of the millions currently classified as refugees.

“The international community needs to look at all aspects of this problem”, said Mr Goff. “This includes the famine and political oppression in Afghanistan, the pressure placed on Pakistan and Iran by huge numbers of refugees, criminal trafficking in people and the use of third countries by people smugglers.

“In New York I will be urging further international action against the threat of weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons. I will be addressing the Entry Into Force Conference (EIFC) of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and attending a meeting of the New Agenda group of countries formed in 1998 to inject momentum into multilateral disarmament”, Mr Goff said.

ENDS

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