Prime Minister James Marape travelled to Suva, Fiji, today to attend a bilateral meeting with Fiji President His Excellency Ratu Wiliame Katonivere and Prime Minister Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka.
PM Marape will also meet Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Chair Henry Puna ahead of the PIF Special Leaders’ Retreat, which has been called by Fiji PM and PIF Chair Rabuka, which is a milestone event in regionalism.
He will return on Wednesday (February 22, 2023), for another commitment. Meanwhile Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Justin Tkatchenko will represent PNG at the Retreat and present the Country Statement.
“I will only be able to hold a bilateral with Fiji, due to my tight schedule, and will return to the country on Wednesday,” PM Marape said.
“Fiji and PNG are big, in our Pacific Islands’ family of nations, and play a leading role in many issues affecting our region.
“It is important, in that context, to establish strong government-to-government, business-to-business and people-to-people relationships with Fiji and other Pacific nations.” Marape added.
The meeting will also see the transition of the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum from Fiji to the Cook Islands. Hon. Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, will look to host the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Ahead of the Leaders’ Retreat, there will be a meeting of the Forum Officials Committee on Tuesday, February 22, 2023.
The Meeting will also consider and finalize the operationalization of the Suva Agreement that was endorsed by Forum Leaders at their meeting in Suva in July 2022.
