Pacific

Cook Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs seeks answers from McCully on aid

12:20 pm on 11 March 2009

The Cook Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs says the New Zealand government owes it to the Pacific to be clear about what its plans are for development aid.

The Government has ordered a review of New Zealand's aid agency, NZ Aid, including its goal of poverty eradication.

NZ Aid oversees an aid and development budget of almost 240-million US dollars, more than half of which is spent in the Pacific.

Wilkie Rasmussen says it is too early for governments to be concerned, but there are some answers he is seeking from his New Zealand counterpart.

"I think they owe it to all of us in the Pacific to be clear as to what their policies are, and what the new plans are in place, because some of the pacific Islands pin their relationship on New Zealand because of the support New Zealand provides."

Cook Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilkie Rasmussen.