- Hon Carmel Sepuloni
Aotearoa New Zealand will be represented by caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni at the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Retreat in the Cook Islands. Minister Sepuloni will be accompanied by Government-elect representative Hon. Gerry Brownlee.
“Regardless of who is in Government, Aotearoa New Zealand’s relationship with our Pacific whānau is long-standing and vital,” said Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni.
“I am pleased to lead the Aotearoa New Zealand delegation on this occasion, and to have the opportunity to reaffirm the value we place on our existing regional relationships.
“The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ week is an important platform for us to come together – kanohi ki te kanohi – to connect and talanoa as the Blue Pacific Continent,” Carmel Sepuloni said.
“It’s also an opportunity to discuss the issues that matter most to our region – such as climate change, health, and security – and to explore ways to enhance our collective resilience and prosperity.”
A key focus of this Leaders’ Retreat will be to endorse the implementation plan for the Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
“Aotearoa New Zealand strongly supports the implementation of the Strategy, which is the collective roadmap to achieve the common goals of peace, security, and prosperity in, and for, the Pacific,” said Carmel Sepuloni.
While in the Cook Islands, Carmel Sepuloni and Gerry Brownlee will hold a joint meeting with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and participate in elements of the broader Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Week programme.
The delegation departs on Wednesday 8 November, returning on Friday 10 November.
