Cook Islands and Japan discussed strengthening cooperation on climate change, shipping, renewable energy, technology and regional issues like nuclear wastewater discharge and Pacific banking.

In the margins of the 10^th Japan-Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo this week, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and the Prime Minister of Japan, Kishida Fumio, discussed current and future bilateral cooperation.

The two leaders committed to continue collaboration in climate resilience, shipping, oceans and marine resources, renewable energy, trade, tourism, technology and people-to-people links. They also discussed regional and multilateral issues.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) said they also committed to sustaining joint efforts to acquire an inter-island vessel with capabilities tailored to the service requirements for the Cook Islands’ outer islands.

“They discussed cooperation supported by Japan’s Grassroots Program, which has delivered more than NZD 6 million to various Cook Islands community initiatives across Rarotonga and the outer islands since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2011,” MFAI said.

“They discussed the expansion of bilateral technical cooperation arrangements, including emerging areas of priority interest for the Cook Islands, such as technology, particularly cybersecurity and digital banking solutions, as well as deep ocean and seabed minerals. They recalled Japan’s support for capability development of more than three hundred Cook Islanders over the last three decades.”

The Japanese PM also conveyed the decision to provide agricultural equipment, including farm tractors, to the Cook Islands.

PM Brown welcomed Prime Minister Kishida’s elevated engagement in Japan’s partnership efforts with the Pacific region since the beginning of last year.

“This has manifested in the ‘All of Japan’ approach we have experienced in recent months and particularly since arriving in Japan this week, with an extensive programme of in-person engagements with Japan’s Parliamentarians, local government Governors, private sector community, academic, youth, and civil society representatives,” Brown said.

The Cook Islands Prime Minister has been able to meet with Japanese businesses importing Cook Islands products, including Rito Cook Islands, and meet with an array of business representatives that have product offerings of interest to the country, particularly in the technology sphere.

On regional and multilateral issues, the two leaders discussed the ALPS nuclear wastewater discharge, the Pacific Resilience Facility, and digital banking cooperation.

“On the ALPS nuclear wastewater discharge, we reaffirmed our joint commitment to safeguarding the health, environment, and marine resources of the Pacific region, and I welcomed Prime Minister Kishida’s assurance that Japan would never approve discharge in a manner that endangers the well-being and livelihoods of the peoples of the Pacific or adversely affect human health and the marine environment,” Brown said.

“I sought Prime Minister Kishida’s consideration of a contribution by Japan towards the Pacific Resilience Facility. I also sought support for sustained collaboration towards the Pacific’s efforts to reduce the cost of banking services in the region and ensure continued correspondent banking arrangements, including through digital banking products already being delivered by Japanese fintech companies across the East Asia region.”

Prime Minister Kishida and Prime Minister Brown co-chair the PALM10 Leaders Summit, with outcomes to be articulated in the Leaders Declaration and Joint Action Plan to be issued at the end of the Summit.