WASHINGTON

The defense chiefs of the US and New Zealand reaffirmed their commitment to work closely to continue strengthening the bilateral partnership, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

A statement came a day after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth hosted New Zealand Minister of Defense Judith Collins at the agency to discuss opportunities to deepen the security partnership and accelerate efforts to reestablish deterrence in the Asia-Pacific.

Hegseth expressed the US’ "support for New Zealand’s recent Defense Capability Plan and efforts to strengthen interoperability with the United States, while also reiterating the importance of New Zealand – and other U.S. allies and partners in the region – contributing more to regional defense and security," according to the statement.

Earlier this month, New Zealand announced that it is revising defense procurement rules and launching a new military technology fund to strengthen the domestic defense industry amid rising government defense spending.

Collins, for her part, said it was "great" to be at the Pentagon for a "substantial meeting" with Hegseth on defense issues, including geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

"Secretary Hegseth and I had previously met in Singapore and today was the opportunity for a substantial discussion about conflicts around the world as well as more opportunities for the US and New Zealand to work together," Collins wrote on US social media company X.