Posted on 12 February 2024
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has begun his Pacific Mission trip alongside Pacific People’s Minister Dr. Shane Reti. The tour commenced in Tonga, which includes a bilateral meeting with Tonga’s cabinet ministers, including Deputy PM Samiu Vaipulu. This meeting addressed the priority areas of New Zealand’s role in Tonga, including education and justice.
Since their arrival on the 7th of February, Peters and Reti have been meeting with various Tongan officials, as well as attending the opening of a new medical and pharmaceutical facility. The building aims to assist the Tongan government and people with COVID-19 response and its ongoing impacts.
Peters has also announced the government's plan to give $20 million to Pacific regions to aid recovery and response to severe weather events. The funding will mainly be used to facilitate and deliver ‘Weather Ready Pacific’, a ten-year program that strengthens the Pacific's ability to deal with, anticipate, and prepare for increasing events of severe weather.
Peters and Reti will also visit Rarotonga to meet Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and finish in Samoa, where they will meet with Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa.
