Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland where the two discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues ahead of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting to convene in Tonga at the end of August.
Discussions focused on both countries’ economic recovery efforts, including air links, debt servicing, infrastructure development, renewable energy, tourism, labour mobility, as well as health, seabed minerals, and education.
The two leaders also discussed regional priorities including progressing regional collective efforts under the 2050 strategy, the forthcoming Pacific Islands Forum Troika-led mission to New Caledonia to take place before the Forum Leaders Meeting, and the elevation of health and education to the Leaders’ agenda.
The two leaders committed to supporting the advancement of the Cook Islands’ application for International Monetary Fund membership and the Cook Islands’ deeper engagement in international affairs and within the international community.
“I had a very constructive exchange with Prime Minister Luxon and am pleased we’ve formalised through our meeting this annual leader level dialogue which will provide leader impetus to our existing annual Joint Ministerial Forum which convened in May this year,” said Prime Minister Brown.
“A centrepiece of our discussions was aspirations for our 60th anniversary next year. 2025 will mark sixty years since the Cook Islands became self-governing in free association with New Zealand and as we look ahead to this historic and important commemoration, we have committed to issue a joint declaration to elevate the relationship and celebrate the many strands that make it unique and enduring. I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Luxon and his government to support reciprocal high level missions next year and the elevation of our relationship in a manner which supports our shared and separate aspirations.”
The meeting follows the 8th Cook Islands-New Zealand Joint Ministerial Forum hosted by New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters with the Cook Islands delegation headed by Foreign Minister the Hon. Tingika Elikana.
Officials of the respective Foreign Ministries of both governments will meet as the JMF Working Group in the coming weeks to advance outcomes agreed at the JMF and Leaders meeting.
The 2025 60th commemoration will feature events both within the Cook Islands and New Zealand with the centrepiece the annual Cook Islands Te Maeva Nui Constitution celebrations to be held in Rarotonga the week of the 4 August 2025.
