FIJI TO MAKE AMENDS FOR PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM ‘BREAK’
RABUKA CALLS FOR UNITY IN HISTORIC AND LANDMARK VISIT TO KIRBATI TODAY TO SPEARHEAD MOVE FOR RETURN OF PALAU, MARSHALL ISLANDS, THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA AND NAURU ‘We are a village; we are a family whether we can follow the languages and the dia
Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s leadership charisma, charm and experience gets an early test as he visits Kiribati today to help mend the gap in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) family.
On Christmas Eve, Mr Rabuka regained the reign of leading Fiji. Today, in his first State visit, and as the PIF chair, he said the trip was very important for the future of the region.
The state visit is funded Australians.
Mr Rabuka believes Fiji should repair the damage within the regional organisation before vacating the chair to the Cook Islands. The Forum faced an unprecedented period of crisis for two years following the announcement of some member countries withdrawing their membership.
Mr Rabuka wants to mend the differences.
“The break happened during our leadership, so we must repair the damage before we do the handover,” Mr Rabuka said.
Withdrawl
Palau, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Nauru had withdrawn leading to the failure to elect candidate Gerald Zackios for the position of PIF secretary-general.
They claimed this contravened a long-standing informal agreement to rotate the head position of the PIF between the Pacific’s three subregions.
Micronesian and PIF leaders met in Suva last year to address the concern raised by member countries which had withdrawn.
This was officially mandating the sub-regional rotation of the secretary-general position which was welcomed by most Micronesian
leaders.
No one told Kiribati president Taneti Maamau regarding the Suva Agreement which resulted in them voluntarily withdrawing from the PIF.
In the letter dated July 9, last year, to the PIF, Mr Maamau stated: “There was never a MPs (Members of Parliament) caucus decision on the PIF reform packages that Kiribati was part of, and particularly an MPS collective decision to return to the PIF”.
Mr Maamau was also not part of the PIF meeting which was held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, last July.
In September 2022, the former Minister for Fisheries Semi Koroilavesau had travelled to Kiribati to hand-over the Chair of the Forum Fisheries Committee. Mr Koroilavesau also initiated reengagement discussions in-person with the Government of Kiribati, including on its decision to withdraw from the PIF.
2023 talks
Speaking after the welcoming ceremony on Wednesday night at the PIF headquarters, Mr Rabuka said most of the break within the Forum happened during Fiji’s leadership.
He said his trip to Kiribati today (Friday) was very important for the future of the Pacific Island Forum.
“We are a village; we are a family whether we can follow the languages and the dialects or not, our spirits communicate,” he said. “I can only reciprocate the honour by serving the Pacific Islands Forum in the remaining term, and continue as a member after I, as Prime Minister handover to my successor.
“I am looking forward to contributing to developing the Forum. We pay our respects to the leaders of the past and we owe it to them to forge this unity and work forward from here.
“I call on all of you and Government leaders in the Pacific to come together and forge forward, move forward in unity,” he said.
Pacific Island Forum secretarygeneral Henry Puna said Mr Rabuka’s leadership came at the most crucial time as the PIF.
Mr Puna said member countries would look to his leadership to bridge and heal Pacific family relations.
“Also on the smooth transition of the Pacific Island Forum leadership towards its incoming chair, the Cook Islands,” he said.
“You well understand that we are at a juncture where among other things, multi-literalism is failing and geopolitical competition in our region seeks to divide us.
“But history has shown that the Pacific and the Forum has been at its best in moments of challenge. We can only see good things ahead with you at the helm,” he said. He said it was important for the regional organisation to heal before the official hand-over of the chair post to Cook Islands. Mr Rabuka said: “The trip to Kiribati is very important. We chair the Pacific Islands Forum and we hand over to the Cook Island, either next month or March.”