Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today extended New Zealand’s condolences following the death of Vanuatu’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Johnson Naviti, who passed away yesterday afternoon in Wellington.

“Our thoughts are with the High Commissioner’s family and colleagues during this difficult time. This is a terrible loss both to the people of Vanuatu and to New Zealand,” Mr Peters said.

High Commissioner Naviti was a long-serving and respected senior civil servant in Vanuatu and the broader Pacific region. He served in the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat for 12 years, and worked as Director General of the Vanuatu Prime Minister’s Office before being appointed as Vanuatu’s first High Commissioner to New Zealand in December 2017.

“High Commissioner Naviti will be remembered for his significant contribution to strengthening the friendship between Vanuatu and New Zealand, and his tireless efforts to care for the thousands of ni-Vanuatu who visit New Zealand each year for seasonal work or to study here.”

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