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CNA (19 June 2025)

New Zealand announced on Thursday (Jun 19) it was suspending NZ$18.2 million (US$10.97 million) in budget funding to the Cook Islands, as the relationship between the two constitutionally linked countries continues to deteriorate amid the Cook Islands' deepening ties with China.

A spokesperson for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement that the country's core sector support funding relies on a high trust bilateral relationship and New Zealand decided in early June to pause the funding.

We "will also not consider significant new funding until the Cook Islands Government takes concrete steps to repair the relationship and restore trust", the spokesperson said.

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