New Zealand is reassessing its development aid to Kiribati after President Taneti Maamau canceled a scheduled meeting with Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
This move has strained relations between the two nations, with New Zealand expressing concerns over the lack of high-level engagement.
Foreign Minister Peters had planned to visit Kiribati earlier this month, marking the first ministerial visit in over five years. However, about a week before departure, President Maamau’s office informed New Zealand that he was no longer available.
This cancellation has led New Zealand to review its development program and other bilateral aspects, potentially affecting visa allocations for i-Kiribati seasonal workers.
Kiribati’s Education Minister, Alexander Teabo, explained that President Maamau had prior commitments, including attending the ordination of a Catholic priest on his home island of Onotoa. However, this event occurred before the planned meeting with Peters, leading to questions about the cancellation’s timing.
Ruth Cross Kwansing, Kiribati’s Minister for Women, Youth, and Sports, defended the president’s decision, stating that he “would never in a millennium intentionally ‘snub’ New Zealand or any foreign minister.” She emphasized that Vice President Dr. Teuea Toatu was prepared to receive the New Zealand delegation, but Peters was insistent on meeting with the president himself. Kwansing added, “This insistence on bypassing established protocol is not only unusual but also…disrespectful to Kiribati’s sovereignty.”

New Zealand’s review of its aid program, which amounts to NZ$102 million between 2021 and 2024, has raised concerns about potential impacts on critical sectors in Kiribati, including health, education, and fisheries.
Kwansing noted that linking aid to political access “sets a questionable precedent and undermines the principles of partnership, mutual respect and ‘mana’ that underpins the inextricably linked relationships between Pacific nations.”
Barbara Dreaver, 1News Pacific correspondent, commented on the situation, stating that while it would be unwise for New Zealand to threaten or cut aid to Kiribati, there needs to be top-level engagement. She emphasized that New Zealand has every right to expect better engagement than it has been getting over the past year.