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In Samoa, Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is not referred to by his palagi name, but by the chief title he was bestowed almost 20 years ago - Vaovasamanaia.
That special connection to Samoa seems fitting as he returns for the first time since he took up the portfolio in the new coalition Government. However, it is not the first time he has been in the Pacific country as the Foreign Affairs Minister of New Zealand.
Samoa’s then minister for environment and natural resources Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, from Gautavai, organised the title - considered a prestigious honour in Samoan families and villages.
Samoan PM Fiame Naomi Mata'afa and Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters. Photo / Vaimoana Mase
That honour is particularly special when the matai title is given to someone who is not Samoan.
Asked at a press conference this morning whether he felt a special obligation and sense of responsibility to Samoa, given his status as a matai, he smiled.
“It’s in the Good Book - about my title,” he said, referring to the Bible.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters & Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa signed a renewed Statement of Partnership in Apia today, reaffirming the unique bond between the two countries.
A new kind of partnership agreement has been signed between Samoa and New Zealand, with the aim of working together to address issues including climate change, human and economic development and security.
Peters met with Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa in the island nation’s capital city of Apia today, where he turned up to the subsequent press conference wearing a brown ula fala (pandanus necklace) gifted to him by Fiame.
New Pacific People’s Minister Dr Shane Reti was also present.
“New Zealand and Samoa are like-minded countries who share a very warm and close relationship. We enjoy close co-operation on bilateral, regional and global issues,” Peters said.
Health minister Dr Shane Reti during a visit at the National University of Samoa. Photo / Vaimoana Mase
He said the Statement of Partnership sets out priority areas for that co-operation over the next four years.
The five main areas featured in the Statement of Partnership are: Partnership (acknowledging the close and historical ties between Samoa and New Zealand), security (working towards a safer Pacific community), empowering communities (supporting people-to-people links and improved public services for health, education and governance), building climate resilience and inspiring growth (fostering regional trade and resilient economies).
“As well as outlining our intent to work together on issues of mutual interest such as climate change, human and economic development and responding to an increasingly complex security environment, the Statement also reiterates New Zealand’s commitment to support Samoa to deliver a successful Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting [CHOGM] later this year.”
Peters urges medical students to graduate and then stay
The CHOGM meeting is set to be the biggest international event to be held in a Pacific Island country. King Charles is among those due to be in Samoa for the meeting in October.
However, it is not yet known whether those plans may have changed at this stage, given his recent cancer diagnosis.
Deputy PM Winston Peters and Health Minister Dr Shane Reti at the National University of Samoa. Photo / Vaimoana Mase
On a tour at the National University of Samoa, Peters and Reti met staff and first-year students studying health science.
Standing at the front of the classroom, looking out at the students, he stood looking around - seemingly expecting some questions.
”How’s it going?” he asked, chuckling, trying to break the ice.
The students, however, were either starstruck or showing respect to their elder, as is the Samoan way.
They quickly moved on after that - but not before posing with a skeleton near the door.
Up to $3.5 million has been given to Samoa to develop and offer a new degree at the university - the Bachelor of Health Science, which opened for enrolment last week.
A total of $30m over five years has been committed for a second phase of the Polynesian Health Corridors programme.
Covid-19 had impacted health services and programmes in the Pacific region, Peters said.
Speaking at the university, he urged medical students to study and graduate and then stay to help their nation - acknowledging the ongoing issue of shortage of doctors in the region.
In a comment that drew laughter from the crowd, Samoa’s minister of education and culture Seuula Ioane Tuā'au welcomed Reti and Peters.
Acknowledging his matai name - Vaovasamanaia - the minister jokingly said the name meant: “The most beautiful guy around.”
Peters’ chiefly title is made up of three Samoan words: vao (vegetation), vasa (the vast ocean) and manaia (beautiful).
Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and picked up the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.
