Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will attend the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo, Japan, next week.
Held every three years, Japan hosts PALM meetings where Pacific leaders and Japan discuss regional issues to strengthen their ties. The first meeting was held in 1997, while PALM9 took place online in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Rabuka was one of the leaders who attended the inaugural PALM in 1997.
“For us, it’s just a continuation of the first PALM,” said Mr. Rabuka. “It’s our regional cooperation and we’ll be focusing on the topic of interest, which is the use of the region for strategic positioning. We need to be aware of those.”
The PALM meeting provides an opportunity for Japan and Pacific leaders to discuss important issues such as climate change, development aid, and strategic security for the region. It also serves as a platform for Pacific leaders to highlight their countries’ challenges and how the region can best assist them.
“I felt duty bound to be there, being one of the founding leaders who attended the first one, and for the whole issue of regionalization and regional cooperation and development,” Mr. Rabuka stated. “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, emphasizing Fiji’s central role in the region. “Mr. Rabuka’s attendance displays his commitment to regionalism,” Michii said. “We are grateful for making it possible to travel because Fiji’s bilateral relations are very important. In this region, Fiji plays a central role, it’s a source of stability; therefore, his presence is very, very important.”
The PALM will take place from next Tuesday to Thursday.