By Praveen Menon
WELLINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that she will negotiate to extend the operations of Rio Tinto (LON:RIO)'s RIO.AX aluminium smelter in the country by 3-5 years.
"We are seeking to extend the life of the smelter between 3 to 5 years...," Ardern said in an announcement as she campaigns for re-election in polls next month.
Rio Tinto said in July it was closing its aluminium smelter in Tiwai Point due to high costs and a challenging market, putting over a thousand jobs on the line and dealing a blow to the country's top power producers.