A New Zealand delegation led by the prime minister has arrived in Samoa to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship between the two countries.
The treaty between New Zealand and Samoa was signed in 1962 two months after the Pacific islands nation became the first to achieve independence, having previously been administered by New Zealand since 1920.
It is the first international group to touch down quarantine-free in Samoa since the pandemic started, with the border there now fully opened.
It follows a visit from Samoa's Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa to New Zealand in June - her first official bilateral trip abroad since becoming leader last year.
A traditional Samoan ava ceremony of welcome took place at Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in Apia this evening.
Jacinda Ardern said she was pleased to be joined by a delegation that represented every party in parliament - including Christopher Luxon, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni, and Minister of Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio.
"I think it speaks to the fact that this is a relationship that is not based on political party, it's based on two countries' history and commitment to one another".
Sio said the delegation included iwi leaders who were connected to the Samoan communities in Aotearoa and church leaders based in Samoa.
"That just shows the sign of the dynamic, growing and powerful love that's growing between the two nations."
A bilateral meeting with Ardern and Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa will take place tomorrow as well as a Cabinet meeting with the whole delegation to discuss issues like climate change and Covid-19 recovery in an "increasingly contested region".
She acknowledged the history between the two countries had not always been smooth sailing and there were things the New Zealand government had apologised for.
"Our relationship with Samoa is unique, the Treaty of Friendship is unique and you can hear from the comments made today ... that there's an appreciation that our relationship has matured, it's continued to acknowledge where the past has created wounds but it looks very much forward and you can hear that in the rhetoric today.
"This will be an opportunity for us to talk about our joint priorities. New Zealand has already said that we want to increase the amount of support that we're providing within the region on initiatives that will support the resilience of our region and that is climate change. Samoa have said that is a huge priority for them as a government."
Ardern said New Zealand would be looking at restarting education, scholarship and skills exchanges as both countries marked the first day of their borders reopening since the pandemic.
"There's a large number of people to people exchanges that we can now resume and that we're very keen to."
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's delegation in Samoa. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
