Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is set to visit Samoa and Tonga later this week for what will be the government’s first comprehensive engagements with two new leaders.
Samoa held elections last August, in which La’aulialemalietoa (La’auli) Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt emerged victorious.
Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua has served as Tonga’s Prime Minister since December, having previously acted as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Luxon will be accompanied by a delegation of business leaders and community members, along with the police minister, the minister for Pacific peoples, and opposition MPs.
Savae Sir Michael Jones and Rachel Afeaki will lead the New Zealand delegation.
The delegation departs Auckland on Sunday and returns on Wednesday.
Luxon stated that the visit would strengthen New Zealand’s commitment to two of its closest Pacific family members.
He expressed enthusiasm for meeting the new leaders of Samoa and Tonga, along with their cabinets.
“Through our longstanding ties, we have built enormous trust between our nations. I’m looking forward to hearing my new colleagues’ points of view and then agreeing on how we can work together to build communities that are more prosperous and safer from threats like drugs,” Luxon said.