Category: Cook Islands

Cook Island PM Credits Success of US-Pacific Summit to Recognition of US Absence in the Pacific

Recognition of the U.S.’s absence in the Pacific region was one of the reasons why the U.S.-Pacific Summit succeeded, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has said. This follows the endorsement of the joint partnership declaration by 14 Pacific Island states that would see the U.S. increase its diplomatic presence in the pacific region as…


One Suspected Omicron Case Gets Cook Islands Added to Hong Kong’s List of High-Risk Countries

In less than a week, Hong Kong authorities added 12 more countries to its list of high-risk places, including Cook Islands, a small South Pacific country that announced its first ever case of COVID-19. In a statement released on Dec. 3, Prime Minister Mark Brown announced Cook Islands, a nation of about 17,600 people, had…


Nine Pacific Nations to ‘Deepen Exchanges’ With Beijing

Leaders from nine Pacific Island nations have vowed to deepen their relationship with Beijing, fight the pandemic, and continue collaborating on major infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The pledge comes amid an ongoing tug-of-war between Beijing and democratic allies in the South Pacific region. In late May, top Chinese Communist Party…


New Zealand Opens to Cook Islands From May 17

New Zealand (NZ) will open its borders further in a fortnight, green-lighting quarantine-free travel to and from the Cook Islands from May 17. The NZ-aligned Pacific nation has been in negotiations for a travel bubble arrangement with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government for months. The move follows NZ’s opening to Australia two weeks ago. “It…