1. What are your key priorities for the Cook Islands in terms of economic resilience, sovereignty, and sustainable development?
This year, we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of self-governance as a country.
Looking back over those six decades, we can clearly see the transformation of the Cook Islands, from a nation once heavily reliant on agricultural exports to one that has successfully evolved into a tourism-based economy.
Today, we have graduated under OECD rankings to become a high-income country. While this is an important milestone, it also means that many traditional avenues of foreign development assistance are no longer available to us.
As a result, we must now build partnerships with other countries based on mutual benefit, through trade, expanded tourism markets, and strategic collaboration.
Our foremost priority is economic resilience: putting in place the measures necessary to ensure sustained growth and prosperity, while strengthening our ability to withstand external shocks, such as the COVID-19 crisis we faced in 2020.
At the same time, it is essential that we celebrate and preserve our identity as a Pacific Island nation, with our own territory, our own ocean space, and a culture that remains central to who we are.
For us, these priorities are critical to ensuring that the Cook Islands can stand on its own two feet moving forward.
Infrastructure remains one of our biggest challenges due to the geographic dispersion of our islands. Investments in energy, transportation, technology, and connectivity come with disproportionately high capital costs when spread across a small population.
Through a combination of domestic financing, development partner support, climate financing, and private investment, we have been steadily advancing these projects to ensure that all islands can participate in economic growth, particularly through tourism and trade.
2. How do you see the Cook Islands’ strategic position evolving within the Indo-Pacific, especially in relation to partners such as New Zealand, the United States, Australia, and regional Pacific nations?
I share the view held by many Pacific Island leaders: we do not see the Pacific as a region of competition.
We see it as a region of collaboration and cooperation.
There is more than enough development support needed across the Pacific for all our partners to contribute meaningfully.
What matters is that our relationships with development partners clearly align with our national priorities and help us achieve our development goals.
Economic resilience depends on our ability to grow organically, develop our own capabilities, and connect with markets that can sustain our economy in the long term, rather than relying on continual assistance.
3. Beyond tourism, where do you see the strongest opportunities for economic diversification?
There are several important sectors.
Financial services is one of them. We were pioneers in financial products as far back as the 1980s.
Today, our financial services sector is regarded as a gold standard in terms of compliance with international obligations set by institutions such as the Financial Action Task Force and the OECD.
It is a highly attractive industry for us because it offers a low environmental footprint and high economic returns.
Fisheries also remain a critical part of our economy.
Through our participation in the regional fisheries management framework with other Pacific countries, we have, over the last 15 years, significantly improved the sustainability of tuna stocks, strengthened monitoring against illegal fishing, and increased financial returns from access to our waters.
Another major area of opportunity lies in the critical minerals contained in our seabed nodules.
For the past 15 years, we have worked diligently to establish a robust regulatory framework governing all activities in our waters, from exploration to any future extraction.
Our goal is clear: to ensure that the people of the Cook Islands, as the rightful owners of the resource, receive the maximum benefit.
We are determined to avoid models where the majority of returns flow to multinational corporations rather than to our people.
4. The Cook Islands has one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world. How are you advancing ocean stewardship and marine conservation?
Leadership is fundamentally about stewardship.
This principle is embodied in the Marae Moana Act, which we passed in 2017.
This legislation designates our entire exclusive economic zone as a marine-managed area, with specific protected zones.
Within 50 nautical miles of each island, commercial longline fishing and mineral activities are prohibited.
This framework reflects values deeply rooted in our culture and traditions.
Our ancestors practiced conservation measures to ensure the sustainability of food resources on land and in our lagoons, and we are applying these same principles across our entire EEZ.
5. Climate change remains a major challenge for island nations. What strategies are you implementing to strengthen climate resilience?
There are two major dimensions to climate policy: mitigation and adaptation.
On mitigation, we have been actively reducing our carbon emissions, particularly in electricity generation.
Renewable energy has become a central pillar of our energy strategy.
Many of our outer islands have had solar grids installed for over a decade, and Rarotonga and Aitutaki are now undergoing their own renewable transitions.
On adaptation, the challenge is even greater.
Building resilience against climate impacts, cyclones, coastal erosion, and sea-level rise, is one of our highest priorities.
Accessing international climate finance remains difficult, which means we have often had to finance resilience projects ourselves and through bilateral partnerships.
These include cyclone shelters, seawall protections, and emergency response financing mechanisms.
As the World Bank has noted, every dollar spent on resilience saves eight dollars in recovery.
That is why resilience remains such a central focus for us.
6. How are you strengthening sovereignty while expanding diplomatic engagement and international partnerships?
As we approach 60 years of self-governance, the Cook Islands has taken on increasing leadership roles internationally, including serving as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum.
This has allowed us to represent Pacific nations at global forums including the United Nations and ASEAN.
Our high-income status and political stability have significantly elevated our international standing.
We are increasingly recognized as a country with a distinct voice, identity, and reputation on the world stage.
This growing visibility creates new opportunities for diplomatic engagement and strategic partnerships.
7. What opportunities do you see for deeper cooperation with global partners, particularly the United States?
The United States represents an important partner in several key areas.
First, we are keen to strengthen air links with the U.S. mainland, especially after disruptions caused by COVID.
Tourism from North America remains an important component of our visitor economy.
Second, the re-engagement of the United States in the Pacific presents opportunities in scientific research and deep-sea exploration.
The global demand for critical minerals has increased interest in our seabed nodules, and we are actively exploring partnerships not only with the United States, but also with countries such as Japan, Norway, Australia, Indonesia, and others.
These partnerships are focused on research, environmental understanding, and capability-building before any future extraction decisions are made.
8. Youth development is essential for the future. How is your government creating opportunities in education, employment, and entrepreneurship while addressing outward migration?
Outward migration is often viewed as a challenge, but I see it differently.
The Cook Islands’ resident population has never exceeded 20,000 people, but our global population now exceeds 120,000.
I see this as an expansion of the Cook Islands.
Our diaspora in New Zealand and Australia has created a powerful bridge of talent, skills, and opportunity.
Rather than focusing solely on bringing people back physically, our goal is to harness the skills and expertise they have developed abroad.
As we diversify the economy into new sectors such as marine resources, engineering, and technology, these developments create new reasons for our people to return, contribute, and invest in the country’s future.
9. Finally, what message would you like to share with Los Angeles Times readers about the Cook Islands?
The Cook Islands is a stable, forward-looking Pacific nation that is open to responsible investment, sustainable tourism, and strategic partnerships.
For visitors, what makes our islands special is that the entire island becomes your destination—not just the resort where you stay.
People consistently tell me that the best thing about visiting the Cook Islands is the people themselves: warm, welcoming, and deeply connected to their culture.
The cleanliness, the beauty, and the sense of community are things we take great pride in.
To the readers of the Los Angeles Times, I would simply say: come and experience it for yourselves.
Visit Rarotonga, visit Aitutaki, and discover why so many people return again and again.
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