Friday 28 April 2017

Samoan Speaker visits during 55th Anniversary Treaty of Friendship year.

The Speaker of the Samoan Legislative Assembly, Hon Leaupepe Taimaaiono Toleafoa Faafisi, is visiting New Zealand as a Guest of the New Zealand Parliament next week.

New Zealand’s Speaker, Rt Hon David Carter, is delighted to host his counterpart. “This visit by the Samoan Speaker is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the warm relationship between New Zealand and Samoa. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the 1962 Treaty of Friendship, signed after Samoa became independent after a period of New Zealand Trusteeship. This high-level visit comes at an opportune time to discuss our common interests in the Pacific region and beyond.”

Samoa is the only nation with which New Zealand enjoys a Treaty of Friendship. The treaty emphasises the closeness of the relationship and recognises “friendship, confidence, and a mutual endeavour to obtain for their peoples fuller opportunities for social progress”.

New Zealand and Samoa share people-to-people links; there is a vibrant community over 144,000 Samoans resident in New Zealand and this comprises 49 percent of New Zealand’s Pacific peoples’ population. We have strong trade, economic, sporting, cultural and education links.

The Samoan Speaker and his delegation will engage with New Zealand parliamentarians and exchange views on a range of subjects including the work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), of which New Zealand and Samoa are members. The visit coincides with that of the CPA Secretary-General, Akbar Khan, and the Samoan Speaker will attend the CPA Pacific Region lecture to be given by Sir Don McKinnon ONZ GCVO.

The visit will take place from 1 to 4 May 2017.

ENDS

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