Funding Restored: New Zealand and Cook Islands reset ties with new security deal

New Zealand has restored funding to the Cook Islands after both countries signed a new Defence and Security Declaration in Rarotonga on Thursday (NZ time).

In a press release, Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters says the agreement addresses a breakdown that had led Wellington to pause parts of its financial support.

“It's no secret that our two governments have had a series of serious disagreements since late 2024," Peters says.

"As we debated how to get past these disagreements, it became clear that one of their root causes was the lack of a shared understanding about the requirements of our special constitutional relationship - especially as it pertained to defence and security matters and the extent of the consultation required between us.”

The new agreement reaffirms New Zealand as the Cook Islands’ main defence and security partner, a key point in the relationship from a Pacific perspective, where partnerships and trust are closely watched.

It also sets out that the Cook Islands will consult New Zealand in good faith on security issues and approach Wellington first before working with other partners.

New Zealand and Cook Islands delegations meeting in Rarotonga to finalise defence and security agreement. Photo/Supplied.

In return, Aotearoa will continue to support the Cook Islands in areas such as policing, cyber security, maritime surveillance, and disaster response - all seen as critical across the region.

Both countries have also agreed not to enter into deals with other parties that could undermine the agreement

Thursday's agreement follows a private meeting between Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown in Auckland on 20 March. At that meeting, both leaders acknowledged “fundamental challenges” in the relationship and signalled the need for ongoing dialogue.

Peters, left, and Brown signing the security and defence agreement in Rarotonga. Photo/Supplied.

"This Declaration resolves this former ambiguity and provides clarity to both Governments so that we can move forward focused on the future, not the past,” Peters says.

The new declaration builds on the long-standing free association between the two countries, in place since 1965.

Under that arrangement, the Cook Islands is self-governing, while New Zealand holds responsibility for defence and some external affairs, after consultation.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, left, welcoming NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters to Rarotonga on Wednesday afternoon. Photo/Supplied.

Peters arrived in Rarotonga on Wednesday, marking his first visit to the Cook Islands since February 2024 and is due to return to Aotearoa on Thursday.

For the wider Pacific, the agreement signals a stabilising of a key regional relationship and a reminder of how security ties in the region continue to evolve.

Listen to Teanau Tuiono discuss NZ-Cook Islands relations on Pacific Mornings below.