Tonga's Prime Minister 'Aisake Valu Eke and New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters Photo: RNZ Pacific / Grace Fiavaai
The New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters has concluded the Tonga leg of his Pacific mission and is now en route to Hawai'i with a cross-party delegation for high-level talks with US Indo-Pacific officials.
The two-day stop in Nuku'alofa focused on strengthening ties between New Zealand and Tonga, with Peters meeting with Tonga' Prime Minister 'Aisake Valu Eke and several senior ministers to discuss shared priorities including climate change, infrastructure support, and regional security.
When welcoming Peters and the New Zealand delegation, Eke mentioned that "honourable Peters is no stranger to Tonga and to the Pacific as well."
"We have welcomed him on our shores on many different occasions and in various capacity spanning across many years," Eke said.
The Tonga prime minister said "honourable Peters has a deep understanding of the Pacific and in relation to the world ...... and how we can strengthen the Tonga-New Zealand partnership, and is a close and trusted friend of Tonga."
"New Zealand's relationship with Tonga has been strengthened by the visit of a cross party delegation to Nuku'alofa, Peters said.
"New Zealand and Tonga share a close, warm, long-standing relationship, and this visit provided our delegation with an opportunity to connect with Prime Minister 'Aisake Valu Eke and the new Tongan Cabinet, the Foreign Minister said.
During the visit, Peters reaffirmed New Zealand's continued support in key areas, including improvements to immigration settings for Pacific Islands Forum countries.
He also launched a maritime safety community awareness and education programme, aimed at promoting safer waters and communities. The initiative will offer training and professional development for mariners, regulatory support, and safety upgrades for vessels.
"The first phase of this programme is all about promoting safe boating practices… ultimately we must be prepared and we must work together to stop preventable loss of life on our great Pacific Ocean," Peters said.
A key highlight of the trip was the announcement of a NZ$13.8 million multi-year activity led by New Zealand's Crown Research Institute, Landcare Research. The programme will partner with agriculture and environment ministries in Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Niue, and the Cook Islands to improve land use, resilience, and livelihoods across the region.
Lapaha Packhouse in Tonga Photo: RNZ Pacific/Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai
While visiting the Lapaha Packhouse, where the Pacific Horticulture and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) programme is working with Tonga's Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, Peters acknowledged Tonga's key role in regional trade.
Tonga's Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Dr Siosiua Moala Halavātau said the country has faced serious agricultural challenges in recent years due to cyclones.
"We need soil help for us to survive, what you have given us today we will be able to help our agriculture better," he said.
Joining Peters on the Pacific tour are Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti, Courts Minister Nicole McKee, Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni, Greens Party MP Teanau Tuiono.
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and his cross-party delegation made their first stop on a week-long Pacific tour in Tonga on Friday. April 2025 Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Grace Fiava'ai
"Working across parties reflects the consensus we have on the importance of the Pacific," Peters said. "It's not about politics, it's about partnerships."
The delegation also engaged in a virtual tour of Tonga's new Parliament building, which is set to begin construction in September. The original building was destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018. New Zealand is contributing NZ$22.5 million towards the project, with Australia adding NZ$18 million.
The group also met with youth parliamentarians, including Tonga's Maryanne Saafi, who shared her aspirations.
"Challenges are good because they help build your character, the challenges that I've been facing have been preparing me. My ultimate goal is to become Tonga's first female prime minister," Saafi said.
Tonga is the first destination that the New Zealand delegation has visited on this Pacific trip, to be followed by Hawai'i, Fiji and Vanuatu.
