Matt Howell

High Commissioner Howell was accompanied by his partner Jenny McGregor.

He said, “It was an honour to meet His Majesty King Tupou VI, and to discuss some of the many  profound connections between our countries. I am excited to be here, and I am looking forward to continuing Aotearoa New Zealand’s partnership with the Kingdom of Tonga.”

“Aotearoa New Zealand and Tonga have a long history and the Kingdom is one of our closest neighbours in the Pacific,” Nanaia Mahuta said.

“Last year we proudly marked 50 years of formal diplomatic relations which are reinforced by the strong connection between our peoples. Together we have cooperated across a number of regional and global challenges including climate change and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.