Results for Pacific Islands

Tonga Police will host the 51st Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Annual Conference in 2024. Tonga Police Commissioner, Shane McLennan was appointed as the Deputy Chair of the PICP at the recent 49th Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Annual Conference in Nadi, Fiji, 24 – 25 August, 2022.

Hon. Nanaia Mahuta this afternoon reaffirmed New Zealand as Tonga's long standing partner and promised to deliver a Pacific Resilience Climate Change speech updating their climate finance strategy tomorrow at Fangaloto. The New Zealand Foreign Minister told reporters that her lunch with the King Tupou VI at the Royal Palace in 'Eua today was very warm and very hospitable.

The United States does not ask any nation to choose between the United States and China, the United States Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy R. Sherman, said in Tonga this afternoon, while expressing disappointment that China had decided to cancel and suspend various relations with the US yesterday, including climate change talks. “For Tonga climate change is existential, and we understand that, and it's just terribly disappointing that the world's largest emitter right now, and a country who must be engaged, for us to reach 1.5 degrees Celsius, has now withdrawn from that discussion, that should be a big concern to all of us.” By Mary Lyn Fonua.

Royal New Zealand Navy Hydrographers on the HMNZS Matataua will be in Tonga to survey its landscape in August. They are currently in Niue doing the same charter survey, which will be completed at the end of July as a part Exercise Tropic Twilight.

The United States will set up an Embassy in Tonga, subject to congressional discussions, US Vice President Kamala Harris told Pacific leaders today, along with other new actions, as they step up their commitment to the Pacific region with an increased American presence.

New Zealand has opened up work visa applications for people offshore, while its borders will be fully open at the end of the month, with student and visitor visa applications opening from 31 July. Immigration Minister Michael Wood said this is the third and final stage of the new simplified Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) policy which opens today, allowing migrants offshore to apply for a work visa to come and work in New Zealand for an accredited employer.

The Prime Minister Hon Hu’akavameiliku met with Rwandan President H.E Paul Kagame in Rwanda today. In a separate meeting, he met with the Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund, where necessary support was extended to help Tonga mitigate climate change.

Travellers will no longer need a COVID-19 pre-departure test for all arrivals to New Zealand, starting at 11:59pm from Monday 20 June.

Around USD1.5 million has been committed by the Government of Japan to provide useful equipment, including fishing boats to aid Tonga's fisheries sector in its post tsunami recovery. Damage from the January tsunamis cost Tonga's fishing industry an estimated $21.5million loss.