Cook Islands High Commission - Pipitea

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Kia Orana 

Turou oro mai kite Kupenga Aorangi a te Paepae o te Ipukarea ki Aotearoa nei. 

Welcome to the Cook Islands High Commission website.  

The ties between the Cook Islands and New Zealand go back many centuries, not only in their historic linkage of great ocean voyages of discovery and settlement, but also in the language and cultures of both the Cook Islands and New Zealand Maori peoples.  
In 1901, by Imperial Order of the British Crown and Empire, the boundaries of the colony of New Zealand were extended to include the Cook and other islands.  This was important for two main reasons.  First, the Cook Islands had become, in essence, a colony of a colony.  Secondly, given that the Northern Group of the islands had not previously been regarded as part of the Cook Islands, this was the first time that all 15 islands that are now the Cook Islands were formally recognised as a single collective. 

In 1965, the Cook Islands gained self-government, in free association with New Zealand, with the Cook Islands Constitution entering into force on the 4th of August.  This ushered in a new era in the relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand.  The relationship since 1965 has continued to evolve, however, certain elements of the relationship have remained constant, reflecting an ever-deepening relationship, a unique partnership.  This partnership is a product of on-going dialogue between the two partners on key issues based on respect for the interests and concerns of the other partner.  

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The relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand was “one of partnership, freely entered into and freely maintained”; and “the special relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand… depends on shared interests and sympathies.” – 1973 Exchange of letters between Prime Minister Norman Kirk and Premier Albert Henry

More than 80,000 Cook Islanders have made New Zealand their home.  They also contribute to upholding the close connections between the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

 
It is an honour to serve as the Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand. My team and I look forward to sustaining the principles that have served the Cook Islands and New Zealand well over the years, as well as working together to strengthen our relationship with current and emerging diplomatic partners who are present in New Zealand.  

 Kia Orana e Kia Manuia