Monday 24th October 2011

The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Hon Tom Marsters, will represent the Cook Islands at the Commonwealth and Developing Small States Foreign Ministers Meeting to be held in Perth, Western Australia, this week.  His participation in the Meeting is in response to a specific invitation from his Australian counterpart, Mr Kevin Rudd, the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The objectives of the meeting are to identify: the challenges that developing small States are facing in the context of climate change and sustainable development; their priorities for addressing those challenges; and ways in which the Commonwealth and other States can advance those priorities in international fora.

The Meeting will take place immediately before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), also to be held in Perth.  “Climate change and other sustainable development issues such as satisfying this country’s long-term energy requirements are of great importance to Government and by taking part in this meeting the Cook Islands will be able to influence the content of recommendations that will then be considered at CHOGM and acted upon in important international meetings to be held in the coming months,” observed the DPM.  “For that reason, it is important that we be represented at the Meeting,” he said.

While in Perth, the DPM is also expected to have bilateral discussions with Minister Rudd and others on a range of other important issues, including arrangements for the 2012 Forum to be held in the Cook Islands.

Costs of the DPM’s participation in the Meeting are being met by the Australian Government.