A Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) worker, ready to work in New Zealand, was the first Ni-Vanuatu to receive a brand new ‘machine readable passport’, courtesy of the New Zealand Government’s NZD$1 million Passport Upgrade Project.  

Production of the new passport marks a new era for Vanuatu's international travellers, who have moved from having hand written passports to a modern machine produced and readable book of international standards.    

On Friday 6 August Prime Minister John Key visited Freswota ("Freshwater") School in Port Vila, Vanuatu, accompanied by the Vanuatu Minister of Education, Hon Charlot Salwai, to view first-hand the positive impact New Zealand's assistance to Vanuatu's education sector is having.  During the visit, PM Key toured the school, met with local school children and talked with the School's Principal and staff.  In collaboration with other donors, New Zealand is providing NZ$12m over three years (2010-2012) to support improvements to basic education in Vanuatu.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3K Orion touched down at Bauerfield Airport on Monday 8 March 2010, marking 30 years of maritime surveillance cooperation between New Zealand and the Government of Vanuatu, and representing over 400 flights over Vanuatu’s 680,000 sq km Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The flight was greeted by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Moana Carcasses Kalosil, and HE New Zealand High Commissioner, Jeff Langley, as well as a number of senior officials from the Vanuatu Government.