Pacific leaders set to sign security pact
Pacific leaders meeting in Nauru are expected to sign a security agreement addressing climate change and crimes, such as drug smuggling and illegal fishing, that cross borders.
The declaration signing yesterday is the centrepiece of the three-day Pacific Islands Forum, which is being attended by leaders from 18 member nations and delegations from other countries, including the United States and China.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arrived yesterday to attend the leaders retreat and the signing ceremony.
The declaration also addresses cybercrime and health issues, such as communicable diseases and pandemics.
Earlier in the day, Pacific fishing and community groups signed an agreement with the European Union to improve sustainable fishing and ocean governance in the region.
Under the Pacific-european Union Marine Partnership, the EU will provide €35 million ($62m) and Sweden will provide €10m ($18m) over five years. The programme will provide direct assistance to regional organisations.
Meanwhile, tensions over China and refugees ran high after host Nauru accused a Chinese official of bullying and temporarily detained a New Zealand journalist.
Nauru recognises Taiwan and doesn’t have diplomatic relations with China.
After a closed-door meeting at the forum on Tuesday, Nauru President Baron Waqa said a Chinese official had demanded to be heard when other leaders were due to speak.
‘‘And he insisted, and was very insolent about it, and created a big fuss and held up the meeting of leaders for a good number of minutes when he was only an official,’’ Waqa said. ‘‘Maybe because he was from a big country he wanted to bully us.’’
Nauru has been eager to limit discussion during the forum about the more than 600 refugees who live on the tiny island, and has placed restrictions on visiting journalists reporting on topics outside the forum.
Nauru police detained 1 News journalist Barbara Dreaver for about three hours and revoked her forum accreditation after she was spotted interviewing a refugee outside a restaurant.
Waqa disputed whether Dreaver was detained, saying she’d been taken to the police station for questioning and had cooperated. He said she breached protocols by not asking permission to speak to refugees.
After Dreaver was released, Ardern said: ‘‘This government believes in freedom of the press, throughout the world, and of course that includes the entire Pacific region.’’