Government ministers will meet a top Rio Tinto executive this week but are not resuming talks with the company about the Tiwai Pt smelter. Rio Tinto aims to close the Tiwai Point smelter by the end of 2024. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Ministers Grant Robertson and Megan Woods will hold an introductory meeting this Thursday with Vella as part of routine dialogue with business leaders. A spokesperson said this did not signal a resumption of talks about cleaning up when the smelter closes in 2024. "The government has paused talks with Rio Tinto until it gets a commitment from the global corporate to remediation and what it would actually do to clean up the smelter site in Bluff," they said.