U.S. eyes deeper ties with Cook Islands

PASEFIKA

The United States is looking to build stronger ties with the Cook Islands following a historic diplomatic visit this week by its Chargé d'Affaires, David Gehrenbeck, who met with Prime Minister Mark Brown during the nation's 60th anniversary of self-governance.

In an interview with Cook Islands News, Gehrenbeck said the US Commercial Service teams based in Wellington and Auckland are ready to assist businesses interested in forming ties.

"In our Mission in New Zealand, both at our embassy in Wellington and at our consulate in Auckland, we have an office of the Commercial Service and their job is to work with companies who are interested in getting involved with the United States."

Gehrenbeck said this week's meeting with Prime Minister Brown included discussions on tourism development, economic promotion and ongoing cooperation.

The meeting with PM Brown was also attended by David Copley, a former mining executive who is now a senior director at the US National Security Council, and Joshua Kroon, the Department of Commerce's deputy assistant secretary for textiles, consumer goods, materials, critical minerals and metals.

After the meeting, the two countries announced the cooperation to advance scientific research and the responsible development of seabed mineral resources.

(Cook Island News)

DEPUTY SEC. MEETS PACIFIC ISLANDS ENVOYS

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with the Pacific Islands Ambassadors and Representatives of Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu recently to discuss U.S.-Pacific Islands relations.

The Deputy announced the United States is releasing $60 million to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency as part of a 10-year Economic Assistance Agreement associated with the South Pacific Tuna Treaty, which allows U.S.-flagged vessels to fish in the exclusive economic zones of 16 Pacific Island countries, generating hundreds of millions per year in gross revenue for the U.S. economy.

The Deputy Secretary and the Ambassadors also discussed greater involvement of the U.S. private sector to promote prosperity for all.

(US Dept. of State)

DELAYS TO CNMI MAIL

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has acknowledged routing errors that caused chronic delays in mail delivery to the Northern Mariana Islands, and says it has begun corrective action.

In a 5 June letter to acting postmaster-general Doug Tulino, CNMI delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds cited repeated complaints from residents and businesses about waiting up to two months for packages and letters from the mainland.

The delays, she said, were linked to mail being sent by sea instead of air - contrary to USPS policy - after processing at the San Francisco distribution centre.

An internal review confirmed that priority mail and lightweight ground advantage parcels under 16 ounces had been wrongly placed in sea transport containers, compounding delivery delays.

USPS said it has now instructed facilities to validate routing procedures so that these categories are sent by air to offshore destinations, including the CNMI, from 1 July.

"We've been hearing from residents and businesses across the CNMI about unacceptable delays in receiving essential goods and communications," King-Hinds said.

"I'm glad to report that USPS has not only acknowledged the problem but is taking corrective action."

(RNZ Pacific)

US SEEKS TO 'COUNTER CHINESE INFLUENCE'

The United States is increasing its presence in the Pacific, including the Cook Islands, due to concerns over China's growing influence in the region.

Speaking exclusively to Cook Islands News, US Chargé d'Affaires David Gehrenbeck, who was in Rarotonga last week to celebrate the Cook Islands' 60th self-governance anniversary, said the US is ramping up its own regional presence through an upgraded FBI office in Wellington and increased diplomatic engagement.

Gehrenbeck confirmed that the new US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office in Wellington gives the agency greater autonomy to work directly with partners across the Pacific, including in the Cook Islands.

The move comes amid growing geopolitical competition in the region, particularly as China strengthens its ties with Pacific nations, including through the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership and memorandums of understanding with the Cook Islands earlier this year.

"We do have concerns with China and China's efforts to assert its influence in the region," Gehrenbeck told Cook Islands News.

"We have questions about what their ambitions and intentions are."

In February this year, the Cook Islands signed the four key agreements, including the Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-20230, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Deepening Blue Economy Cooperation, MoU for the Blue Partnership in Seabed Minerals Affairs and Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation.

The move created a diplomatic rift between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, resulting in New Zealand pausing over $18 million in core sector support funding. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier said the Cook Islands failed to properly consult New Zealand concerning any agreements it planned to sign with China, as required under the Joint Centenary Declaration.

Gehrenbeck stressed the importance of transparency in all international relationships, particularly when small nations are making decisions that shape their future.

He said the United States continues to offer itself as a trusted and transparent partner to the Cook Islands - one rooted in shared democratic values and open dialogue.

(RNZ Pacific)