Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown got the full welcome when he arrived back in Rarotonga.

The Prime Minister touched down on Sunday, after completing a busy overseas travel schedule.

Brown and his wife, Daphne Brown, were greeted by members from Cabinet, the Ui Ariki, Senior Heads of Ministry, and staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) - receiving a special welcome that included a traditional prayer and remarks from Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Tepaeru Herrmann.

The Prime Minister's arrival back in Rarotonga concludes a programme of engagements coordinated by MFAI over the past couple of months, where Prime Minister Brown as Cook Islands Prime Minister and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), attended the 56th Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting in Incheon, South Korea; the 79th session of the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand; the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders’ Summit held in Hiroshima, Japan; the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; and the Korea-Pacific Island Leaders’ Summit held in Seoul, South Korea.

Cook Islands News made enquiries and was told numerous government departments were given late notice of the PM's arrival, and the request from MFAI appeared to be in line with ceremonial welcomes of the days of old.

An MFAI spokesperson said: “Sunday’s welcome home PM was a spontaneous decision taken by DPM and Secretary Herrmann on Saturday evening for what has been notable high-level missions undertaken throughout the end April to May by the Prime Minister in his capacity as Pacific Islands Forum Chair, a role he assumed in February”. 

“The only other time the Ministry has extended welcome home gathering on the PM's return from travel duty was in March 2021, more than two years ago, following the very first high-level mission by the Prime Minister for bilateral talks with New Zealand which secured the Covid--vaccine program of support from NZ, Covid response and recovery financial package and confirmation of the date for the resumption of two-way international travel,” she said.

“It is significant to note that for India, US and Korea Summits – for the first time, the Pacific Islands Forum participated in those engagements in co-Chair capacity, through Prime Minister Brown – for Korea, this is the first Leaders’ Summit since the establishment of Korea Meetings over a decade ago.”