Missing leaders won't derail Pacific Islands Forum outcomes, secretariat says
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the region's premier policy organisation, is confident the annual leaders' summit will deliver despite leader absences in Palau.
The 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Palau is set to proceed despite the absence of several key leaders, according to the PIF Secretariat. The annual summit typically brings together members to discuss and advance significant regional issues. However, the meeting will be held without Kiribati President Taneti Maamau and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale, who are both unable to attend due to various reasons.
Maamau's absence has raised concerns over the cohesion of the PIF following tensions over a lack of agreement on a statement condemning China's missile test in Pacific waters. Meanwhile, Wale withdrew after a motion of no confidence was filed against his leadership. Despite the reduced leadership-level representation, the PIF Secretariat remains confident that progress will be made during the meeting, which officially begins tonight.
The secretariat's deputy secretary general, Esala Nayasi, emphasized that the issues being discussed at the leaders' meeting have already been thoroughly deliberated by the PIF officials and foreign ministers. He also clarified that Maamau's decision not to send a minister can be seen as a participation rather than a boycott, as Maamau is joining a session virtually.
The meeting's opening ceremony will take place this evening at the Palau National Gymnasium, with the leaders' retreat scheduled for Thursday.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
