[Formal greetings to the Aronga Mana, Religious Advisory Council, Cabinet, Members of Parliament, and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Rt. Honourable Winston Peters and delegation].
Kia orana tatou katoatoa I te aro’a ma’ata o te Atua.
Key moments in the journey of a nation arrive by steady navigation, with clear hearts and minds, and through upholding of the values that define us.
Today, we have arrived at such a moment.
As a people, we are defined by our Christian values of service, compassion, humility and integrity, alongside our cultural history as navigators and innovators; our ancestors read the stars and the swells and chose, always, to move forward.
It is in that spirit that we sign this Declaration.
Good relationships, like good navigation, require periodic reckoning, an honest reading of where we are, so that we can chart the course ahead with confidence. That is what both our governments have done. And I want to acknowledge, genuinely, the spirit of goodwill and good faith with which we have entered into this process. It is not a small thing to engage in a conversation about the shape of a relationship you have long valued. We are grateful for that courage, and we meet it with our own.
The Cook Islands is a self-governing state, with its own international personality and its own development priorities. These are not claims we make against anyone; they are simply the foundation on which a genuine partnership must rest. And New Zealand, to its credit, has always understood this in principle. What today’s Declaration achieves is the translation of that principle into practice.
Distinct from our self-governing status, is our free association with New Zealand. Free association is, at its heart, a relationship of mutual choice, and one that we value genuinely.
But free association, properly understood, is a relationship between equals who have chosen each other, not a hierarchy dressed in the language of kinship. Its strength derives precisely from its voluntary character. We choose each other for the genuine bonds of culture and family that cross Te Moana Nui o Kiva, for the values we share, and for the practical cooperation that benefits both our peoples.
The Declaration before us affirms the Cook Islands executive authority over our islands and EEZ, that the Cook Islands conducts its international relations in its own right, and that our ongoing consultation reflects the depth of our regard for one another as a practice of partnership, not a condition of it.
While this declaration looks to the future, let us not forget the sacrifice of those who came before. This declaration honours of the generations of Cook Islands men and women that served and wore the uniform.
For over 120 years when the call was made, we answered, from the 500 in WW1 through to WW2, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, we have carried our share in the defence of the Realm, we have paid in blood, sweat and tears. And we continue to do so today with Cook Islands men and women serving in the armed forces of both New Zealand and Australia.
No sovereignty is complete without economic expression. Today’s Declaration establishes that New Zealand’s development support will be channelled through frameworks jointly designed and governed, with priorities set by the Cook Islands in alignment with our National Sustainable Development Agenda. This is the gold standard not only for official development assistance, but for partnership grounded in mutual respect and an awareness of shared interests.
We also affirm today that the Cook Islands will continue to build relationships across our region and beyond, as every state does. These relationships complement our partnership with New Zealand. A Cook Islands that is deeply connected, well-resourced, and confident in its place among nations is a stronger and more capable partner for New Zealand. We will continue to build partnerships wherever they serve our national interest, in full transparency with our partners, and with our values as our guide.
To the people of the Cook Islands, to tatou iti tangata, this moment is yours. Every insistence on language that reflected and protected your status was done in your name. Your government is committed to do right by you. This Declaration is a constructive measure to align with long term national goals and your future.
You deserve a country that stands in the world on its own terms. You are the descendants of the greatest navigators in human history, a people who crossed the largest ocean on earth with nothing but knowledge, skill, and courage. That is who you are. That is who we have always been. We carry that knowledge forward today: not just as heritage, but as instruction. We know how to find our way. We know how to voyage in partnership. And we know how to arrive.
Minister Peters, we are grateful for your presence here, and for what it represents. The deepest respect we can show a partner is to engage with them honestly, as we are engaging with you.
We sign this Declaration as a new foundation, built on clarity, on mutual acknowledgment, and on the shared belief that two nations, different in size but equal in dignity can build something genuinely worth investing in.
The stars that guided our ancestors across Te Moana Nui o Kiva still shine. We know how to read them. Because, Kua kite au i toku turanga, e Avaiki toku – I know who I am, I have a homeland.
This Declaration is our shared commitment to the best of what our relationship can be; respectful, reciprocal and enduring.
Kia orana e kia manuia.
