Fiji Sun

Tuvaluan PM: Trump Fails to Safeguard, Bainimaram­a Beacon of Hope

- JYOTI PRATIBHA Edited by Ranoba Baoa Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj

Where American President Donald Trump has badly failed to safeguard the future of this planet, Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimaram­a has stepped up and been a beacon of hope, says Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. Mr Sopoaga in a candid interview with the Fiji Sun in New York yesterday called the actions of Mr Trump naïve and based on opinion of one person.

“Fiji has done very well, extremely well under the presidency of Prime Minister and has been a beacon of hope.

“Tuvalu has already expressed our dismay, our disappoint­ment at very poor leadership coming from the biggest polluter of the world and for his to question what the world has worked out for more than 20 years, in fact to come together in Paris… and, for that leader to suddenly say that he is pulling out the US from the Paris Agreement…. Tuvalu believes this is not the view of the American people. This is the view of that one person- the President and it is not shared by the majority of American people and American states. “More than 30 American states do not support his views and even the fossil fuel companies are not in support.

“Tuvalu believes this is the view of an individual, maybe out of naivety but that does not bother us.

“It is unfortunat­e for the American people but Tuvalu believes the whole world is moving forward and looking at this as a grand opportunit­y.

“They say there is always a silver lining in every cloud so let’s do that and we will reward the nations that are progressin­g, their markets that are progressin­g and they will benefit more than the American economy – unfortunat­ely because of that leadership.

“We have only to believe in ourselves and Tuvalu strongly believes that even though our islands are sinking and going down because of pollution and from his own company in fact, from Trump’s empire which has contribute­d a lot but we believe in humanity coming together.

“We cannot give up.”

 ?? Photo: Jyoti Pratibha ?? Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimaram­a and Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga in New York on June 7, 2017.
Photo: Jyoti Pratibha Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimaram­a and Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga in New York on June 7, 2017.
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