The leaders of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands as per reports will skip this week’s annual Pacific Islands Forum, that starts on Monday in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Instead, the leaders will send their representatives.
This, as per Reuters, may pose a challenge for regional unity as China and the United States compete for influence.
US-China and a race for influence
Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea, which have been courted by both China and the US for security and economic ties in the strategic South Pacific, will send ministers to the bloc meeting.
Reuters reports that Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso will attend the meeting. An official of the bloc’s most populous nation shared this information with the news agency. However, they failed to specify why Prime Minister James Marape is skipping the annual meet.
From Vanuatu, Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu will attend on behalf of Prime Minister Charlot Salwai.
Solomon Islands’ government announced that its Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele will lead the nation’s delegation. The country specified that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is “tied down with duties as Minister for Pacific Games” and parliament.
Furthermore, New Zealand, still without a government after the election, will send a representative from the incoming National government and deputy prime minister from the caretaker Labour government.
What is the Pacific Islands Forum?
Founded in 1971, the Pacific Islands Forum is the region’s premier political and economic policy organisation. It comprises 18 members: nations from three sub-regions – Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia – as well as Australia and New Zealand.
As per the forum’s website, its vision “is for a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, so that all Pacific people can lead free, healthy, and productive lives.”
The upcoming session, which will be held from 6 to 10 November 2023, is the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Meeting, and it will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Honourable Mark Brown.
During this four-day meeting, the focus as per Reuters will be on “strengthening regionalism”. However, as per Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Regenvanu, with key nations not sending leaders, that would be challenging.
It has said the region’s greatest challenge is rising sea levels and worsening storms caused by climate change.
(With inputs from agencies)
