Wellington, NEW ZEALAND — The Governments of Samoa and Aotearoa New Zealand welcome 2022 commemorating the 60 years of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This year, 2022 also marks the 60th anniversary of Samoa’s independence from New Zealand and the signing of the Treaty of Friendship. This special occasion will be celebrated with a number of events observing the warm relations that our two countries value and enjoy.

The Treaty of Friendship was signed on 1 August 1962 and is representative of the uniquerelationship between Samoa and Aotearoa New Zealand. It is an agreement that emphasises thecloseness of the relationship and is underpinned by “friendship, confidence, and a mutualendeavour to obtain for their peoples fuller opportunities for social progress”. The strong bondsare also reinforced by people-to-people relationships and the more than 180,000 NewZealanders of Samoan heritage.

The Governments of Samoa and Aotearoa New Zealand attach great importance to their shared history on which the relationship between the two countries was founded and developed, and look forward to further advancing this relationship into the future.