‘A peaceful, prosperous, democratic Pacific’

Peters' developing Pacific crisis

There is a widening fear in Wellington that the Cook Islands – China deal is in danger of becoming a foreign policy crisis. Foreign Minister Winston Peters yesterday delivered a blunt assessment of the situation saying that New Zealand wanted to reset and restate the formal parameters of the relationship with the Cooks. And though the Cook Islands and China have yet to release the texts of various agreements they signed, an unsigned “Action Plan…

‘A peaceful, prosperous, democratic Pacific’

Good Evening Let us begin by acknowledging Professor David Capie and the PIPSA team for convening this important conference over the next few days. Whenever the Pacific Islands region comes together, we have a precious opportunity to share perspectives and learn from each other. That is especially true in our region, where distances between us are large. We acknowledge, too, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Parliamentary colleagues, distinguishe…