New Zealand leader makes 1st trip to UK since trade deal

LONDON (AP) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made her first visit to the U.K. since both countries signed a free trade agreement. She met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday to boost bilateral ties and discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine. The trip came after both leaders attended the NATO summit in Madrid. They will also discuss security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region. It was Ardern’s first visit to the U.K. since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. New Zealand had enacted a strict border policy at the outset of the pandemic and only recently reopened its borders to international visitors.