Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is set to participate in the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo, Japan, next week.
Every three years, Japan hosts PALM meetings, providing a platform for Pacific leaders and Japanese officials to exchange views on regional issues and strengthen ties. The inaugural meeting was held in 1997, and the most recent, PALM9, took place online in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Rabuka was among the leaders present at the first PALM.
“For us, it’s just a continuation of the first PALM,” Mr. Rabuka stated. “It emphasizes our regional cooperation, focusing on topics of strategic interest such as the use of the region for strategic positioning.”
The PALM meetings serve as a venue for discussing important issues like climate change, development aid, and strategic security. They also offer Pacific leaders a chance to highlight their national challenges and explore regional support mechanisms.
“I felt duty-bound to attend as one of the founding leaders,” Mr. Rabuka explained. “Regionalisation, cooperation, and development are crucial issues, and our participation is significant on a global scale.”
Japanese Ambassador to Fiji Rokuichiro Michii expressed gratitude for Mr. Rabuka’s attendance, noting it demonstrates his dedication to regionalism.
“We appreciate his efforts to travel because Fiji’s bilateral relations are highly significant,” Ambassador Michii said. “Fiji plays a central role in this region and is a source of stability. His presence is, therefore, very important.”
The PALM will take place from next Tuesday to Thursday.