The New Zealand Government is to provide two billion New Zealand dollars, or about 1 point 5 billion US dollars, in aid for the Pacific over the next eight years.
The New Zealand aid and development agency, NZAID, has today released its first Pacific Strategy, aiming at a coherent approach to aid delivery through to 2015.
The assistance will go into four major areas including the fostering of good governance and the encouragement of economic development.
The New Zealand Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, used a proverb - the canoe to reach its destination needs to be paddled on both sides - in stressing that Pacific countries also need to make a commitment if the assistance is to work.
"New Zealand has a clear expectation that the Pacific region and individual Pacific countries will take up the challenge of development, to lift their own citizens out of poverty. This means encouraging policies and practices which foster growth and better standards of living. It also means preventing corruption, poor governance and conflict, which erode development gains."
Winston Peters
