Foreign Minister concludes tour after meeting leaders.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, has concluded his visit to New Caledonia, the country's closest neighbour. During his trip, Mr Peters met with top officials including French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc and President of the New Caledonian Government Louis Mapou.
The visit aimed at understanding New Caledonia's challenges and identifying areas where New Zealand can contribute to its future development. Mr Peters expressed his condolences for the civil unrest that occurred earlier this year, resulting in loss of life and destruction.
In a significant outcome of the trip, an updated Joint Cooperation Plan was signed by Mr Peters and President Mapou. The plan outlines priority areas for collaboration between the two governments, including institutional cooperation, trade, economic development, and people-to-people connections. New Zealand's support package will see increased funding for voluntary organizations, expansion of tertiary scholarships, and enhanced technical cooperation.
The full text of the Joint Cooperation Plan is available on MFAT's website. The visit is seen as an important step in strengthening ties between New Zealand and New Caledonia.