Cook Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Tingika Elikana, met with his Papua New Guinea counterpart, the Justin Tkatchenko, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Xiamen this week on the margins of the 3rd China - Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers Meeting they both attended.

This year is a milestone year for both nations: the Cook Islands will celebrate on 4 August 2025 its 60th year of self-government in free association with New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea will celebrate a few weeks later, on 15 September 2025, its golden jubilee—50 years of independence.

For its celebrations, the Cook Islands has chosen the theme "Kua kite au i toku turanga, e Avaiki toku – I know who I am, I have a homeland," and Papua New Guinea has chosen "Celebrate our history, inspire our future."

"I had a very positive discussion with Minister Tkatchenko this morning, where we were able to share our respective preparations and support towards our milestone celebrations later this year. We have committed to incorporate into the celebrations the signing of a bilateral partnership arrangement, which officials have been directed to finalise in the coming weeks," said Minister Elikana. "This year marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, and we see great scope for expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, education, health, sports, music, fisheries, culture, church, community, and people-to-people ties. Papua New Guinea is an economic powerhouse within our Pacific region and is well connected with ASEAN, which presents the Cook Islands with opportunities we are keen to explore further through a partnership arrangement."

While the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea established diplomatic relations in 1995, the relationship between the peoples of the two countries dates back over 150 years, when missionaries from the Cook Islands travelled to the Papua New Guinea village of Hanuabada to share the gospel. Those early missionaries had a profound impact on several coastal communities in PNG, contributing to language and communication development through Cook Islands hymns and songs, which are still sung in traditional and contemporary forms in present-day Papua New Guinea.

The two Ministers also discussed regional developments, acknowledging the broader geopolitical landscape within which Pacific countries must navigate and balance, and the imperative for closer regional cooperation. The two ministers will join other Pacific Islands Forum Ministers at their annual talks in August ahead of the annual Summit of Forum Leaders to convene in the Solomon Islands in September.

• MFAI