2025 began on a sombre note for New Zealand, as we mourn the tragic loss of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming, who was senselessly killed on New Year’s Day while serving her community. With an extraordinary 38-year career in public service, Lyn’s dedication to keeping New Zealanders safe exemplifies the bravery and commitment of our Police force. Her death is a devastating loss to her family, colleagues, and the nation. My deepest condolences go out to her loved ones, and I wish for the recovery of those injured in this terrible incident. Lyn’s service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Our Government remains steadfast in our mission to get New Zealand back on track – restoring law and order, rebuilding the economy and delivering better public services for all. As we move into 2025, these priorities continue to guide our work.

This week I visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a trusted partner for New Zealand in the Gulf region. This trip was an opportunity to strengthen our relationship and advance shared interests. The UAE is a significant trading partner, with two-way trade currently valued at NZ$1.3 billion. Our cooperation spans a wide range of areas, from renewable energy initiatives in the Pacific to efforts to de-escalate conflict in the Middle East.

While in Abu Dhabi, I had the privilege of witnessing the signing of the New Zealand-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a historic trade deal that marks a major step forward for our exporters. From the moment this agreement takes effect, 98.5% of tariffs on our exports to the UAE will be eliminated, growing to 99% after three years. This is a big deal for our economy, with immediate benefits to New Zealand’s key export sectors such as dairy, red meat, horticulture and industrial products.
In addition to removing tariffs, the CEPA includes new commitments which will provide greater certainty for New Zealand services exporters, one of the fastest growing parts of our economy, when operating in the UAE.

The deal was concluded in record time, with negotiations launched in May 2024 and finalised by September. This makes CEPA New Zealand’s fastest-ever trade agreement negotiation, a testament to the hard work and dedication of our trade officials led by our Minister for Trade, Todd McClay.

This agreement not only strengthens our economic relationship with the UAE but also underscores our broader goal of doubling the value of New Zealand’s exports within the next decade. As I have said before, we won’t get rich selling to ourselves. A thriving economy is essential for driving investment, lifting incomes, and funding public services like health and education that all New Zealander’s rely on.

While overseas I also took the opportunity to showcase New Zealand as a globally connected trading nation, a sustainable technology innovator, and an attractive destination for investment. These qualities are essential to maintaining our competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world. Looking ahead, developing closer economic ties with India remains a strategic priority for my Government, and I am excited to continue that work in 2025.

The start of this year serves as a reminder of both the challenges and opportunities we face. As we continue into 2025, my Government is focused on delivering results for New Zealanders. Whether through improving public safety, strengthening our economy, or building relationships on the global stage, our goal remains the same: to create a stronger, more prosperous, and more resilient New Zealand.
– Hon Christopher Luxon,
Prime Minister of New Zealand