NZ Foreign Minister in Cook Islands for talks as ties under strain

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters has arrived in Rarotonga and is set to sign an agreement with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Thursday.

The visit comes at a sensitive time in the relationship between the two countries, after New Zealand suspended multi-million-dollar funding over Rarotonga’s engagement with China.

Peters’ trip follows a private meeting with Brown in Auckland earlier this month, where both leaders acknowledged “fundamental challenges” in the relationship and signalled a need for ongoing dialogue.

The Foreign Minister left Aotearoa on 1 April and is due to return on 2 April, marking his first visit to the Cook Islands since February 2024.

While details of the agreement that is expected to be signed have not been made public, Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono welcomed the development.

In an interview on Pacific Mornings, Tuiono told William Terite he was “relieved” to see both sides re-engaging after weeks of tension.

Watch full interview with Teanau Tuiono on Facebook below.

“Just sort it out, please,” Tuiono says. “This is not good for the Cook Islands, not good for us that live here, not good for them that live there, not good for the relationships.”

He pointed to the importance of quiet diplomacy behind the scenes in resolving disputes. He suggested that while public meetings are important, progress often happens away from the spotlight.

“Backroom diplomacy is also really important, particularly if there’s an impasse between two different groups.”

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, left, met New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, right, privately in Auckland recently, after 18 months of strained relations. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

Tuiono also criticised the way the situation began, referencing confusion over the Cook Islands Government’s engagement with China earlier this year.

“No one knew what Prime Minister Mark Brown was doing in China. We all found out on Facebook. So the beginning of it was terrible.”

Labour MP Dan Rosewarne stressed the importance of maintaining strong Pacific relationships, describing the Cook Islands as “family”.

“You’ve got to work on these relationships,” Rosewarne told Terite. “Over a long period of time, the current government has taken that relationship for granted.”

He pointed to previous efforts under the last Labour government, which saw frequent ministerial travel across the Pacific to maintain ties.

Watch interview with Labour MP Dan Rosewarne on Facebook below.

The Cook Islands marked 60 years of free association with New Zealand last year. Under the constitutional arrangement, the Cook Islands manages its own domestic affairs while New Zealand is responsible for defence and foreign affairs and provides budgetary support.

Both countries are preparing for general elections this year.

Thursday’s expected agreement will be closely watched as a signal of whether both sides can stabilise ties and move forward.