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Download AudioDefence Minister Peeni Henare says climate change was high on the list of concerns at last week’s ASEAN defence summit in Cambodia.
He’s just returned home from the forum – where the war in Ukraine and ongoing violence in Myanmar were also discussed.
He says New Zealand was keen to stress that the threats to its Pacific neighbours were about more than defence.
“While many countries are talking about the threat of nuclear strikes, or nuclear tactical strikes, many of our whanau here in the Pacific are talking about the fact that the sea rising poses an existential threat to them, their families and their country,” Mr Henare says.
While the forum was primarily for Association of South East Asian Nations, China, India, Japan, Russia and the United States also took part.
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