Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown speaks at the opening of the annual Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, on Aug. 26, 2024. ((Charlotte Graham-McLay / Associated Press)) ...

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown speaks at the opening of the annual Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on Aug. 26, 2024. (Charlotte Graham-McLay / Associated Press) ...

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown told lawmakers in Parliament on Thursday that the funding was “not halted, it’s paused” and downplayed the significance of the amount frozen.

FILE – Cook Islands Prime Minister, and outgoing Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Mark Brown, speaks at the opening of the annual Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga ...