US President Joe Biden, right, stands with Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown, middle, and Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape as they participate in a group photo with other leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum as part of the US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House on September 25, 2023 in Washington. Photo: Win McNamee
The New Zealand government has welcomed the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States, Cook Islands and Niue.
At the second US-Pacific summit in Washington this morning, President Joe Biden announced that the US recognises them as sovereign and independent states.
It's an announcement which the U.S. Embassy in Aotearoa has labelled as historic.
RNZ Pacific's Lydia Lewis reports.
