October 11, 2023

Vendors invited to showcase Cook Islands products at Forum event

Cook Islands vendors have been invited to participate in a trade day event that will be hosted during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in November in Rarotonga.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) is inviting interested local vendors to register their interest by contacting the Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB) on phone number 24296.

MFAI is promoting the Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity (PPfP) Pavilion that will be held from 7-9 November at the Punanga Nui Market in Avarua.

In keeping with the Leaders Meeting theme: “Our Voices, Our Choices, Our Pacific Way: Promote, Partner, Prosper,” the Pavilion will offer a platform to showcase Pacific ingenuity, economic resilience, and creative enterprise, MFAI said in a statement.

It is intended participants are Cook Islands vendors and agencies alongside regional and international partners for a trade, investment, and cultural festival. MFAI hopes the event will promote key Pacific initiatives and foster partnerships that offer transformative potential for Pacific communities.

Seventy-two-year-old Rarotonga-resident Teremoana Albert is supporting the initiative and said she would love to participate in the event.

Albert sells Rukau and other food items at the Matavera market stall located near the Cook Islands Football field.

She said when her husband was alive, they planted cucumber, tomatoes and cabbage and sold their produce at the Punanga Nui Market.

“I love going to the market, they are supportive. And I would love to be part of this upcoming event with BTIB at the market. It is a good idea.”

The former Rarotonga Airport staff has been selling produce for 25 years now. After her husband passed way, she focused more on selling cooked meals.

According to MFAI, the Pavilion is expected to feature side events, non-commercial exhibition booths for local and international guests, as well as trade, market, and food stalls for Cook Islands based stakeholders.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Tepaeru Herrmann said the Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity is inclusive of regional collective actions that have emerged during the development of the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan over the last year.

“The nine initiatives proposed by the Cook Islands for the PPfPs are an outcome of consultation with all eighteen Forum members over a number of months, as well as CROP agencies and Forum development partners,” Herrmann said.

“The Pavilion is the physical embodiment of these nine initiatives which we hope will focus Forum members, regional organisations and development partners to mobilise the necessary resources and commitment to deliver early impactful wins for Pacific communities in the year ahead.

“The Pavilion will showcase the best of Cook Islands culture and give visibility to regional priorities, helping to promote the PPfPs which are aligned with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.”

The PPfPs comprise current and new regional collective actions aimed at attracting new funding, investment, and partnerships that offer transformative benefits for Pacific communities. The PPfPs propose regional collective actions that will provide impactful early wins and effectively channel Forum development partners’ efforts towards regional priorities as determined by Forum members.

The Pavilion programme is coordinated by the MFAI in partnership with the BTIB and relevant domestic and regional agencies.

All domestic, regional, and international agencies and organisations interested in participating in the Pavilion are invited to apply online from Friday, 6 October 2023, at www.piflm52.com or direct their interest and enquiries to Tatryanna Utanga on email info@piflm52.com