McCully leads delegation to Pacific Mission

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will lead a delegation to Tonga, Niue, and New Caledonia next week for the 2012 Pacific Mission.

“The Mission is an important opportunity for a variety of New Zealand representatives to engage with their Pacific counterparts on issues such as tourism, renewable energy and infrastructure,” Mr McCully says.

“It also reinforces the importance New Zealand places on the Pacific region.”

As part of the Mission, Mr McCully will open the first solar power plant in Tonga - a joint renewable energy project between the governments of New Zealand and Tonga, Tonga Power and Meridian Energy.

“This plant is leading the way in much-needed diesel alternatives for the Pacific, and will provide one megawatt of power to Tongatapu,” Mr McCully says.

In Niue, Mr McCully will join Premier Talagi to celebrate the completion of a $10.1 million redevelopment of Matavai Resort.

“This is an important step in affirming Niue as a quality tourist destination and the Matavai as its accommodation flagship,” Mr McCully says.

The Mission will also visit New Caledonia.

“New Caledonia is our closest Pacific neighbour geographically and our third largest export market in the region. It is an important partner for New Zealand, so it makes sense for us to explore opportunities for closer engagement and cooperation.”