New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters warned Pacific leaders on Thursday that the region is facing mounting geopolitical pressures and transnational threats, and urged a recommitment to regional cooperation and respect for sovereignty — while announcing a tangible policy change to make travel between the Pacific and New Zealand easier.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of Pasifika TV’s broadcasting across the Pacific in Auckland, Peters said the Pacific is “navigating sharper great power competition alongside climate and transnational risks that do not respect borders.” He argued that the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent must remain the guiding framework for the region’s resilience, security and prosperity, and stressed that “Pacific leaders are clear: they seek cooperation, stability, and sovereignty — not division.”
Peters framed that call as more than rhetoric. He announced that from June 1 this year the New Zealand Government will reduce the total cost for Pacific nationals applying for a 12‑month visitor visa from $216 (US$161) to $161 (US$95). “The Government is backing up these words with action,” he said, describing the fee change as “another practical update to visitor visa settings that reduces cost, supports easier travel, and helps to strengthen the relationships that matter most.”
The minister used the Pasifika TV event to underline New Zealand’s deeper engagement across the region. He told the audience that during the current Parliamentary term officials and ministers have now visited all 17 Pacific Islands Forum member states, a tour Peters said demonstrated “New Zealand’s steadfast dedication to regional partnership.” He highlighted a recent visit to Kiribati, where Wellington signed a new partnership agreement, and drew attention to the Betio Hospital project in South Tarawa as a concrete example of bilateral cooperation.
Peters framed these moves within a broader argument about values and regional architecture. “In an increasingly contested world, values matter,” he said. “Our collective approaches and our regional architecture, like the Pacific Islands Forum, help guard against the ability of big, powerful countries to divide us.” He repeatedly invoked “The Pacific Way” — consensus, respect and dialogue — as the diplomatic tradition New Zealand and its Pacific partners should follow when confronting climate change, security concerns and other cross‑border challenges.
The minister also emphasised cultural and historical ties between New Zealand and Pacific nations, noting the substantial Pasifika presence in New Zealand and describing the relationship as reciprocal: business, tourism, churches and sport were all cited as two‑way exchanges that bind the countries together. Peters said New Zealand will continue “listening first, aligning second, and delivering always” as it seeks to implement the Pacific Reset and translate commitments into on‑the‑ground projects.
Peters’ remarks come amid heightened international attention on the Pacific and ongoing debate about how external powers engage with Pacific Island nations. By combining diplomatic outreach, a symbolic invocation of regionalism and a concrete reduction in visa costs, New Zealand’s latest moves signal an attempt to shore up longstanding ties and offer practical incentives for closer people‑to‑people and government‑to‑government engagement.
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