Pacific Development Assistance Welcomed

20 July 2001Media Statement
Pacific Development Assistance Welcomed

Pacific Island Affairs Minister Mark Gosche today welcomed the government's announcement detailing more that $106 million development assistance to Pacific countries in the next year.

Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Robson announced the details today. They include:

Samoa ($7.7 million), Cook Islands ($6.2 million), Niue ($6.25 million), Tokelau ($7.5 million), Fiji ($3 million), Kiribati ($3.1 million), Papua New Guinea including Bougainville ($10 million), Solomon Islands ($8 million), Tonga ($5.6 million), Tuvalu ($2.05 million) and Vanuatu ($5.25 million).

Mr Gosche said the assistance would be significant in helping education, health and community development initiatives in particular, across the Pacific.

"In my visit to Samoa last year I witnessed first hand the value of the overseas development assistance programme, funded by the New Zealand Government."

"Partnership with the other governments of the Pacific is the underlying principle of the bilateral development assistance programme."

"Within New Zealand this government is committed to overcoming the social disparities between Pacific peoples and other New Zealanders. Equally we are committed to renewing and strengthening our long standing relationships with other Pacific governments. Development assistance such as that announced by Matt Robson today is one way of doing that."

For more information contact Lyn Holland in Mark Gosche's office on 04 471 9063, mobile 025 249 0461, or Barry Ebert in Matt Robson's office on 04 470 6676 or 021 636416