The head of Te Runanga o Ngati Kahungunu says a Maori-Pasifika approach to business is proving to be successful.
Ngahiwi Tomoana is part of a government delegation led by Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully visiting Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
The delegation is meeting with government representatives to talk about a range of areas, including business, developing industries and possible trade agreements.
Speaking from Solomon Islands, Ngahiwi Tomoana, who is a member of the Maori Economic Development Taskforce, says Maori and Pasifika people's ancestral connection plays a big part in strengthening relationships.
He says Pasifika communities respond better and feel more comfortable dealing with Maori when doing business because they have trust in their Polynesian cultures.
Mr Tomoana says it's a harder for them to understand some western practices.
