History and shared values bind together the US and New Zealand, Christopher Luxon says. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The prime minister has congratulated the new president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Christopher Luxon said the relationship between New Zealand and the US has strong foundations and was bound by history and shared values.
Luxon said he looked forward to working together to make the most of the opportunities that exist between them.
Follow live updates of Inauguration Day in the US with RNZ's blog
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has congratulated JD Vance on being sworn in as the new vice president.
Peters said he looked forward to working together to further deepen the relationship between New Zealand and the US.
He added the two countries were two of the world's great, longest-running democracies.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins congratulated Trump on his inauguration, saying the party wished him and the American people success.
ACT leader David Seymour said the important thing for New Zealand after Trump's inauguration was the peaceful transfer of power.
He takes over as deputy prime minister in May and said he had been focused on New Zealand, but the new US regime could mean changes in trade and defence.
He said the decisive result and the departing leaders' commitment to graciously conceding helped avoid the kind of tensions seen after the 2020 election.
The Greens said Trump's inauguration would require New Zealand to show leadership in tackling climate change.
The new president's policy of abandoning the Paris Agreement would see the US join Iran, Libya and Yemen as being among the few nations not involved.
Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick said New Zealand's prime minister had talked up working with like-minded nations, and this was an opportunity to do so.
She said failing to address the climate crisis would mean more and worse weather events like the Los Angeles fires, Cyclone Gabrielle and flooding in the North Island in 2023.
