Photo: Emily Barker / Getty Images

United States President Donald Trump's top diplomat in Aotearoa is one step closer to assuming office - more than a year after he was announced.

Billionaire businessman Jared Novelly is the Trump's nominee to be US Ambassador to New Zealand, Niue, the Cook Islands and Samoa.

Nearing the end of a year-long confirmation process, Novelly finally faced questions from the Senate Foreign Relations committee on Friday.

He told the Committee his top priorities in the role would be promoting a "free and open Pacific", expanding a US defence presence, and promoting business opportunities, particularly in cri

πŸ“°

Continue Reading on RNZ

This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.

Read Full Article β†’