Samoan Prime Minister Delays Treaty Talks With New Zealand Until After Election
Published
Samoan Prime Minister La'auli Leuatea Schmidt has paused talks on refreshing the treaty between Samoa and New Zealand. He has said that the discussions must wait until after the New Zealand general election, when a new government is in place.
The treaty in question is the Treaty of Friendship between the two countries, which was signed in 1962, the year Samoa became independent. Both governments have discussed updating the agreement to reflect the relationship between the two countries today. Reports say that La'auli told Prime Minister Christopher Luxon that he did not want to continue the talks before the election. In his own words, "I said no."
For New Zealanders, the decision means that the treaty review will not move forward for now. New Zealand has a large Samoan community, and the two countries share close links in trade, travel, and family ties. Because of these links, any change to the agreement could affect many people in New Zealand.
The New Zealand general election will decide which party leads the next government. Once the new government is formed, the two countries will be able to restart talks. Until then, the existing treaty remains in force, and no changes have been agreed.
Sources: Te Ao Māori News
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