Leaders to meet Korea president

SYDNEY: Pacific island leaders will meet South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul today, their third summit in a week with a large economy as the region seeks stronger action on climate change as it becomes a focus of geopolitical power attention.

Western allies have moved to boost their engagement amid concerns over China’s security ambitions for the strategic waters and economic leverage among the small island states.

Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles would attend the first KoreaPacific Islands Summit, his office said.

South Korea is Australia’s thirdlargest export market, trade being dominated by exports of gas and coal. Marles will also hold a bilateral meeting with Korean Minister of National Defence Lee Jongsup.

Australia and New Zealand are the largest members of the forum, a bloc of mostly small island countries at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change and reliant on aid from development partners.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged more trade and development assistance in a summit with a dozen Pacific island leaders in Papua New Guinea last Monday.

The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed a defence agreement with PNG after a Pacific summit there on the same day.

The backtoback meetings with major economies were a ‘‘massive boost for recognition of our priorities’’, Pacific Islands Forum secretarygeneral Henry Puna said in a statement.

In Seoul, climate change, investment and fisheries are expected to feature in talks.

France, which has Pacific overseas territories, will also join the Seoul meeting. — Reuters