Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will participate in the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo, Japan, next week.
Every three years, Japan hosts the PALM meetings where Pacific leaders and Japan gather to exchange views on regional issues and strengthen ties. The meeting was first held in 1997, while PALM9 took place online in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Rabuka attended the inaugural PALM in 1997.
“For us, it’s just a continuation of the first PALM,” he said. “It’s our regional cooperation, and we’ll be focusing on strategic positioning in the region, which is of tropical interest and we need to be aware of those.”
The PALM meeting allows Japan and Pacific leaders to engage in discussions on climate change, development aid, and regional strategic security. It also provides a platform for Pacific leaders to highlight their country’s issues and explore regional assistance.
“I felt duty-bound to be there, being one of the founding leaders who attended the first meeting and given the importance of regionalisation, cooperation, and development,” Mr. Rabuka said. “Our role in the universe and globally, it will be good for us to go there.”
Japanese Ambassador to Fiji Rokuichiro Michii expressed gratitude for Mr. Rabuka’s attendance, highlighting his commitment to regionalism. “We are grateful for making it possible to travel because Fiji’s bilateral relations are very important,” he said. “In this region, Fiji plays a central role and is a source of stability, hence his presence is very important.”
The PALM meeting will take place from next Tuesday to Thursday.