Cook Islands Prime Minister to visit New Zealand amid lingering diplomatic rift - report

Prime Minister Mark Brown will travel to New Zealand next week for a series of engagements - his first major visit since the diplomatic fallout between the two nations over the Cook Islands-China agreements.

According to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the visit includes direct engagement with diaspora groups in Auckland, and a "keynote address in Wellington".

The programme also includes engagement with diplomatic partners, academia and the private sector to "share the Cook Islands' forward direction and opportunities for continued collaboration".

Cook Islands News asked whether government-level engagement with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and/or Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters would be part of the visit.

"The Cook Islands has consistently sought constructive engagement with New Zealand at all levels. Officials remain in regular contact, and we welcome opportunities for dialogue. As with all partners, discussions often take place privately," the Office of the PM said.

"We will not comment on programme details beyond what has been announced."

The visit comes amid ongoing official-level engagement with New Zealand to resolve an impasse between the two governments, which led Wellington to pause approximately $30 million in grants to the Cook Islands.

Diplomatic tensions began brewing in late 2024 and became public after the Cook Islands signed a comprehensive strategic partnership and other agreements with China in February last year.

New Zealand cited a lack of consultation regarding the deals with China and subsequently suspended NZ$29.8m in funding.

The flags of the Cook Islands and New Zealand. Photo/Supplied

According to the statement, Brown will travel to New Zealand for a programme of engagements focused on strengthening ties with our people and "reinforcing the enduring relationship between the Cook Islands and Aotearoa New Zealand".

The visit comes as the Cook Islands marks 60 years of self-governance and continues to strengthen its national direction at home and abroad, it said.

"This visit is centred on one clear priority: reconnecting with our people," Brown said. "Over the past sixty years, our nation has grown well beyond our shores. Today, more than 90,000 people of Cook Islands heritage live in New Zealand. They are raising families, building businesses, serving in frontline roles, leading in sport, education, health and the arts. They contribute every day to the communities they are part of, while remaining deeply connected to their homeland."

The statement noted that the Cook Islands community in New Zealand is young, growing and increasingly multi-generational, and it reflects a confident Pacific identity - one grounded in culture and active in both civic and economic life.

"When Cook Islanders pursue opportunity abroad, they do not leave the nation behind. They extend it," Brown said.

"This visit is about listening to our people, sharing our national direction, and strengthening the ties that bind Cook Islands community to home.

New Zealand has paused nearly NZ$30 million in funding to the Cook Islands following concerns over agreements signed between Rarotonga and Beijing last year. Photo/Supplied

"It also allows us an invaluable opportunity to connect with our diplomatic partners resident in New Zealand as well as academic and private sector interests to provide insight into the Cook Islands forward development priorities and opportunities for continued collaboration."

In Wellington, the Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address reflecting on 60 years of self-governance and outlining the next chapter of national development.

"The address will focus on identity, economic resilience, and the role of our global Cook Islands community in shaping the future."

In Auckland, the programme will prioritise direct engagement with Cook Islands community groups and diaspora representatives. These sessions will provide an opportunity to share updates on national priorities and to hear directly from Cook Islanders living abroad.

"This visit is about walking forward together, strengthening the connection between our homeland and our communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. The next chapter of the Cook Islands story will be written by all of us. Kua kite au i toku turanga, e Avaiki toku," Brown said.

Meanwhile, late last month, a spokesperson for Minister Peters said discussions with the Cook Islands Government are continuing.

Watch Cook Islands Democratic Party’s candidate for Titi-kaveka, Sholan Ivaiti's interview on Pacific Mornings below.

In response to questions from this newspaper, the spokesperson reaffirmed New Zealand's long-stated position on its relationship with the Cook Islands, describing it as a priority for the Government.

"The New Zealand government, including Minister Peters, has repeatedly made clear over the past two years how important we consider the special constitutional relationship with the Cook Islands," the spokesperson said.

This story was first published in the Cook Islands News.