We welcome the release of New Zealand's Defense Policy and Strategy Statement (DPSS) and Future Force Design Principles (FFDP). The longstanding partnership between the United States and New Zealand is focused on ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, sustaining a region where all can pursue their interests free from coercion.
We are encouraged by the common themes between New Zealand's strategic documents and the U.S. National Defense Strategy, and we appreciate New Zealand's steadfast leadership in support of security and prosperity in the Pacific Islands region and beyond. The DPSS and FFDP demonstrate New Zealand's fundamental commitment to our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.