The foreign ministers of Australia and New Zealand (NZ) met in person for the first time in Wellington on Thursday for their biannual consultations to discuss ways to strengthen the countries’ trans-Tasman ties. The meeting came days after NZ Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the Ardern government was “uncomfortable” with the Five Eye’s intelligence-sharing alliance expanding to “the human rights space.” Following the meeting, Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne gave no public indication about whether they directly discussed those comments, choosing instead to praise the “enduring and continuing” relationship between the nations. However, the pair did clarify their stance on the Five Eyes to reporters. Payne said that all Five Eyes members share the view that it is a vital strategic alliance that is key to each country’s security and intelligence interests. “A lot of issues with which we deal are dealt with in the shadows, but not all, and some have been …