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New Zealand ferry boosts Tokelau's links to outside world

Xinhua, February 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand government on Thursday formally handed over a new ferry to ease the isolation of the tiny Pacific island nation of Tokelau.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully traveled to Apia, capital of Tokelau's nearest neighbor Samoa, to hand over the MV Mataliki, a purpose-built vessel specifically designed to carry passengers and cargo between Samoa and the three atolls of Tokelau.

"Tokelau can only be reached by ship so this vessel is a vital lifeline for the atolls. The Mataliki will sail between Samoa and Tokelau fortnightly, offering a safe, reliable, and faster service for the people of Tokelau," McCully said in a statement from his office.

The vessel, which cost the New Zealand government 12.5 million NZ dollars (8.32 million U.S. dollars) to design and build, would be owned by Tokelau and operated initially by a New Zealand company.

"New Zealand is committed to the special constitutional relationship we share with Tokelau and the handover of the Mataliki today is a milestone in improving Tokelau's connectivity with the Pacific region and the wider world," McCully said.

Tokelau has no air links to the outside world and the only international transport is by ship to Samoa, a journey that can take up to 30 hours.

Tokelau's population was 1,383 at the end of 2013, but all Tokelauans have New Zealand citizenship and 7,173 people with full or partial Tokelauan descent lived in New Zealand at that time. Endit