Winston Peters begins visit to Micronesia, firmly committed to Pacific affairs

Winston Peters and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele exchange gifts during a New Zealand delegation’s visit to Honiara.
photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Provided

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters will visit the Pacific again, leading a delegation to four countries.

Peters’ office said the delegation will visit Fiji and then begin visits to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.

The Deputy Prime Minister visited the Cook Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Niue, Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga, Nauru and Tuvalu.

In December 2023, he said the government hopes to restore and update Pacific Reset Strategy “More intense.”

Peters said the Pacific is a focus of New Zealand’s foreign policy.

He said their goal was to visit all 17 Pacific Islands Forum members in Tonga later this month and this visit would mean they had visited 14.

He said the visit to Micronesia demonstrated New Zealand’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with the Micronesian region.

The delegation’s visit to Fiji coincides with the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

“As a founding member, New Zealand is deeply committed to establishing the Forum as our region’s pre-eminent political entity and the leading platform for advancing Pacific priorities and addressing regional issues,” Peters said.

The delegation will leave New Zealand on Thursday and return on Friday 16 July.