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 the PALM meetings where Pacific leaders and Japanese officials come together to discuss regional issues and strengthen their ties.
The first PALM meeting took place in 1997, and the PALM9 was held online in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Rabuka was among the Pacific leaders who attended the initial 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 the topic of strategic positioning within the region.”
The PALM meetings serve as a forum for Japan and Pacific leaders to engage in important discussions about climate change, development aid, and strategic security for the region.
It also provides a platform for Pacific leaders to voice the challenges their countries face and explore ways the region can assist them.
“I felt duty-bound to attend as one of the founding leaders who participated in the first meeting,” Mr. Rabuka said. “Our role on the global stage underscores the importance of our presence.”
Japanese Ambassador to Fiji Rokuichiro Michii expressed his gratitude for Mr. Rabuka’s attendance, saying it demonstrated his commitment to regionalism.
“We are grateful for his efforts to travel because Fiji’s bilateral relations with Japan are very important,” he said. “Fiji plays a central role in the region, serving as a source of stability, making his presence vital.”
The PALM meeting will take place from next Tuesday to Thursday.