The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) welcomes to the Cook Islands diplomatic envoys from the Portuguese Republic, Ambassador António Albuquerque de Vilhena Moniz, and the Czech Republic, Ambassador Jana Tyrer.

They presented their respective letters of credence to the King’s Representative Sir Tom Marsters yesterday and subsequently met with government representatives, including Foreign Minister Tingika Elikana, Foreign Secretary Tepaeru Herrmann, and others.

According to MFAI, the Cook Islands established diplomatic relations with Portugal in 1995; this year marks 30 years of diplomatic relations. It established diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic in 2008; this year marks 17 years of diplomatic relations.

While bilateral exchanges with both countries have been somewhat limited in recent years, there has been some cooperation through the European Union, including the European Development Fund, and in multilateral forums such as UNESCO and the International Maritime Organisation, which have supported the development outcomes of the Cook Islands, MFAI noted.

“We are pleased to welcome Ambassadors Moniz and Tyrer to the Cook Islands so we can have in-person exchanges on several issues of shared interest, including the multilateral treaty framework that supports developing nations’ responses to climate change, technological advances that can be harnessed to support development outcomes, environmental stewardship, and global peace,” Herrmann said.

“The visits by Ambassador Moniz and Tyrer, who are resident in Canberra and respectively accredited to Australia and a number of Pacific countries, underscore the Cook Islands’ commitment to cultivating relationships with all states, large and small, near and far, in this instance with European partners.

“This collaboration aims to find solutions to complex and challenging issues while investing in global partnerships that align with and support the advancement of the Cook Islands' economic resilience and continued environmental sustainability through development partnerships.”