New Zealand Foreign Minister, Hon Murray McCully is expected to arrive in Tonga today to visit Tonga’s newly elected government.

 The visit was announced in a media statement by the New Zealand government yesterday February 15, but it wasn’t stated how long Hon McCully would be in Tonga.

The visit comes a week after Real Tonga’s controversial MA-60 aircraft was suspended from service last week as a result of new legislation on aviation safety. The New Zealand government had issued a travel warning over the aircraft when it was introduced to the Tonga domestic interisland service.

Hon McCully will meet with Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva and his new government to discuss New Zealand’s aid support to Tonga.

Hon McCully said in the statement “Tonga is one of our closest neighbours and we enjoy a very strong relationship built around a large Tongan population in New Zealand, development cooperation, and working together at the Pacific Islands Forum,

 “This will be my first visit to Tonga since their election late last year and it is an opportunity to discuss the new government’s priorities and how we can support their development objectives.”

He added, “Our aid programme in Tonga is currently focused on support for basic education and policing, private sector development, and in particular the development of renewable energy generation,”

There are over 50,000 ethnic Tongans residing in New Zealand. The Tongan diaspora in New Zealand also makes up the bulk of remittances and foreign visitors to Tonga.