By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist
New Zealand’s foreign minister says Cook Islanders are free to choose whether their country continues in free association with New Zealand.
Winston Peters made the comment at a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the constitution of the Cook Islands in Auckland today.
Peters attended the community event hosted by the Upokina Taoro (East Cook Island Community Group) as part of an official contingent of MPs. Minister for Pacific Peoples Shane Reti and Labour Party deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni also attended.
“We may not be perfect, but we’ve never wavered from our responsibilities wherever they lay,” Peters said.
“For six decades, we have stood by ready to support the Cook Islands economic and social development, while never losing sight of the fact that our financial support comes from the taxes of hard working New Zealanders,”
This week’s anniversary comes at a time of increasing tension between the two nations.
At the heart of that are four agreements between the Cook Islands and China, which Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown signed in February.
NZ funding halted
The New Zealand government said it should have been consulted over the agreements, but Brown disagreed.
The diplomatic disagreement has resulted in New Zealand halting $18.2 million in funding to the Cook Islands, which is a realm country of New Zealand.
Under that arrangement — implemented in 1965 — the country governs its own affairs, but New Zealand provides some assistance with foreign affairs, disaster relief and defence.
Peters today said the “beating heart” of the Cook Islands-New Zealand relationship was the “right to choose”.
“Cook Islanders are free to choose where to live, how to live, and to worship whichever God they wish.”
After his formal address, Peters was asked by media about the rift between the governments of the Cooks Islands and New Zealand.
‘Carefully crafted’
He referred back to his “carefully crafted” speech which he said showed “precisely what the New Zealand position is now”.
Brown has previously said that if New Zealand could not afford to fund the country’s national infrastructure investment plan – billed at $650 million — the Cook Islands would need to look elsewhere.
Brown also said in at the time that funding the development needs of the Cook Islands was a major motivator in signing the agreements with China.
Discussions between officials from both countries regarding the diplomatic disagreement were ongoing.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
