Wellington, Dec 12 (IANS): New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Cook Islands counterpart Mark Brown announced on Saturday an "arrangement to facilitate quarantine-free travel" between the two South Pacific countries.

The two Prime Ministers and their cabinets have instructed officials to continue working together to put in place all measures required to safely recommence two-way quarantine-free travel in the first quarter of 2021, Xinhua news agency quoted a joint statement as saying.

"The arrangement recognises the special ties between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. It will allow people to travel more easily between our two countries, while acknowledging that the priority remains to protect our populations from Covid-19," Ardern was quoted as saying in the statement.

Prime Minister Brown welcomed the development, noting that the free movement of people between New Zealand and the Cook Islands is central to "our close relationship and integral to the Cook Islands' recovery from Covid-19 impact".

"This Arrangement is the next step towards resuming many aspects of life in the Cook Islands that have been disrupted by Covid-19, including access to health and education, and reuniting family and friends," the statement quoted Prime Minister Brown as saying.

Acknowledging the Cook Islands' Covid-free status, New Zealand will work at pace to implement quarantine-free access for travellers from Avarua District to Wellington as a first step in a phased approach to resumption of two-way quarantine free travel between the two nations.

"Quarantine-free access for travellers from the Cook Islands to New Zealand will provide for the movement of people for delivering and accessing essential services, while allowing officials to finalise preparations for a safe return to two-way quarantine-free travel" Prime Minister Ardern added.