Wellington: New Zealand will not lift the ban for several decades on nuclear-powered vessels entering its waters after Ally Australia’s decision making to develop a nuclear submarine fleet, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Thursday.
Ardern said his Australian partners Scott Morrison had directed it to the Canberra plan to develop a nuclear-powered submarine with the help of the United States and England.
He described the deal as “mainly around the hardware of technology and defense”, downplay the implications for what is called “five-eye” partnerships in the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
“This arrangement does not change our security and intelligence relations at all with these three countries, and Canada,” said New Zealand leader in a statement.
But he also said New Zealand will maintain a ban on nuclear-powered vessels from 1985, which means Wellington will not allow valuable naval assets developed by Australia to his waters.
“The position of New Zealand in connection with the prohibition of nuclear-powered vessels in our waters remains unchanged,” Ardern said.
The ban was introduced after French nuclear testing in the Pacific and led to the US Navy which forbade his warship to enter the New Zealand port for more than 30 years.
Destroyer USS Sampson visited at the end of 2016 but only after Prime Minister John Minister provided a special exception, said he was “100 percent confident” the ship was not nuclear-powered or carrying nuclear weapons.
The official US policy does not confirm or deny whether the ship is capable of nuclear.