The historic friendship between the Central province and the Cook Islands has been renewed this week, further strengthening the ties between the people and cultures established by missionaries over a hundred years ago.
Central Province and the Cook Islands formally renewed their historic friendship and cultural ties dating back more than 150 years through the signing of a Sister Province Partnership Arrangement at APEC Haus on Tuesday May 12.
The landmark agreement was signed between Central Province Governor Rufina Peter and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown following the signing of the inaugural Framework on Development Cooperation between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Cook Islands by Prime Minister James Marape and Prime Minister Brown.
The signing ceremony, held on the margins of the inaugural Melanesian Oceans Summit 2026, was described as a historic and symbolic moment reflecting the deep spiritual and cultural connections established through the arrival of early Christian missionaries from the London Missionary Society to the shores of Central province more than a century ago.
Governor Peter said the agreement marked another “Jubilee Year blessing” for Central province and reaffirmed the province’s commitment to strengthening ties with the Cook Islands.
“It is a great honour to formally renew and recommit to strengthening the Central province–Cook Islands relationship under the inaugural Framework on Development Cooperation between our two nations,” she said.
Governor Peter said the partnership would create opportunities for collaboration in culture and heritage, education and youth exchanges, women’s empowerment, tourism, climate resilience, agriculture and cooperatives, sports diplomacy, trade and investment, and people-to-people engagement.
“These missionaries shaped our communities, education and faith. We honour that history while looking to the future,” she said.
She thanked the governments of Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands, the respective foreign affairs ministries, diplomatic representatives, traditional leaders, churches, officials and communities for their support in bringing the arrangement to fruition.
