Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 22 November 2023 — The Cook Islands and Mexico have formalised diplomatic relations yesterday via an Exchange of Note Verbales.
The Exchange of Notes was done by Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand, Her Excellency Kairangi Samuela, and Alfredo Pérez Bravo, Ambassador for the Embassy of Mexico to New Zealand, and is the culmination of exchanges between representatives of the two governments since 2017.
The most recent bilateral discussions between the two governments were held between the two country’s missions based in Wellington earlier this month, with the Cook Islands and Mexico having cooperated for a number of years within multilateral fora, and the formalisation of diplomatic relations the next step in cementing the bilateral relationship and enhancing cooperation.
"We welcome the interest of Mexico in establishing diplomatic relations and furthering cooperation with the Cook Islands in areas such as climate action, seabed minerals development, green energy transition, agriculture, cultural and people-to-people exchanges," said Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI), Tepaeru Herrmann.
MFAI officials will continue to work with Mexico officials toward possible future bilateral cooperation and continue to step up collaboration in the months ahead, with Mexico becoming the fifth country to form diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands this year.