Last week, on Thursday 10 July 2025, senior officials from the Cook Islands met with New Zealand counterparts in Auckland, New Zealand, to discuss the bilateral relationship through the Joint Ministerial Forum Working Group (JMF-WG) mechanism. The JMF-WG is an annual meeting between the two countries and provides a platform for officials to engage on a range of issues of mutual priority.
Reflecting the importance of discussions, Heads of Agency and senior officials from the Cook Islands Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration, Ministry of Finance & Economic Management and Crown Law Office met with counterparts from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, Ministry of Defence and NZ Security Intelligence Service.
Cook Islands officials reaffirmed the importance of the Cook Islands–New Zealand relationship, and reconfirmed their commitment to working collaboratively to restore mutual trust and clarify shared expectations.
Officials agreed to continue working closely to address matters of mutual concern.
