Samoan prime minister stalls treaty talks until New Zealand election results are known
Samoa’s prime minister La'auli Leuatea Schmidt said he will postpone negotiations on a refreshed Treaty of Friendship with New Zealand until after the upcoming New Zealand election.
During a gathering in Apia for a visa-on-arrival initiative, Samoan Prime Minister La'auli Leuatea Schmidt announced that negotiations on a refreshed Treaty of Friendship with New Zealand will be put on hold until after New Zealand’s general election. He explained that he told New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon he needed a "fair" chance to work with whoever becomes the next New Zealand leader. Schmidt said he is currently preparing a Samoan perspective on how to update the treaty.
The original treaty, signed in August 1962, underpins the two countries’ partnership. Luxon’s March visit to Samoa included the bestowal of a chiefly title and the signing of memoranda on police and customs cooperation. The pause was disclosed at a cocktail function supporting the visa-on-arrival campaign led by community figure Anae Arthur Anae.
Why it matters
The decision could delay reforms to a key bilateral agreement that affects migration, security and trade between Samoa and New Zealand.
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