Sāmoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa will visit Aotearoa from June 14. 

This visit marks 60 years since the Treaty of Friendship between Aotearoa and Samoa was signed. 

Fiame will attend community and official engagements, including meetings with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other ministers. 

Fiame will go to events in Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Auckland. 

Ardern said “Aotearoa New Zealand is first and foremost a Pacific nation and we value the strength of our relationship with our Pacific family. I am delighted that Prime Minister of Samoa’s first official bilateral overseas visit will be to New Zealand".

“This is a significant year for Sāmoa as it celebrates 60 years of independence on June 1 and 60 years since the signing of the Treaty of Friendship between Sāmoa and Aotearoa New Zealand on 1 August.

“The Treaty underpins our relationship and pledges that both countries work together to promote the welfare of the people of Sāmoa and was, in fact, signed by Naomi Mataʻafa’s father and Sāmoa's first Prime Minister, Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II."

Ardern said she had spoken to Fiame previously and looked forward to discussing key issues affecting the Pacific, development cooperation and the ongoing responses to Covid-19. 

“The Prime Minister and I have already spoken on three occasions and I look forward to further discussing the key issues affecting our region, development cooperation and our ongoing respective Covid-19 responses.”

Last year Sāmoa's election was filled with twists and turns - entering uncharted constitutional and political waters. 

For 39 years, Samoa had the same political party – the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) – in power, and the same leader since 1998.

But this changed when newcomer Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa Ua Tasi (FAST) Party​ - a breakaway group from HRPP - gained the upper hand.

Fiame is the first woman prime minister of Sāmoa. 

Top Image: Sāmoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa speaking to TVNZ's Breakfast team last year. (File photo) Photo: Breakfast

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