First-female Maori and New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs to visit Fiji next week

The first-female Maori and New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, will visit Fiji from next Monday to Thursday.

This is will be her first visit to Fiji since New Zealand announced its Pacific Resilience approach last year.

Nanaia Mahuta says the visit is an important step in reconnecting New Zealand with its relationship with the Pacific and an opportunity to engage on key issues facing the region.

She says as Fiji is their largest Pacific Island trading partner, and host to many of Pacific’s most important regional institutions, the Fiji-Aotearoa New Zealand relationship is both significant and influential.

While in Fiji, Mahuta will meet with the Prime Minister and the Attorney General and also attend an event at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, participate in a Fijian women leaders roundtable and visit development projects.

Mahuta says over the past two years COVID-19 has had profound health, economic and social impacts on Pacific partners and their ability to connect with them.

The New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister adds the visit will also allow her to discuss and strengthen further opportunities for Aotearoa New Zealand to work alongside Fiji and their government, leadership and stakeholders to deliver a long-term resilience for the Fijian people.