By Anadolu staff
ANKARA (AA) – Foreign ministers from the Pacific islands gathered on Friday in the capital of the island nation of Fiji for talks of geopolitical issues and the enhancement of alliances.
Kiribati President Taneti Mamau, Nauru President Russ Kun, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, and top diplomats from the member states are attending the meeting.
In his opening remarks Mark Brown, prime minister of the Cook Islands and chair of the forum, said they will discuss a range of issues during the meeting.
“We developed and endorsed the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent as the blueprint to advance Pacific regionalism for the next three decades. Today, we will discuss various issues from the geopolitical context in which we operate to the opportunities and challenges presented by our priorities.”
Henry Puna, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, said in his opening remarks: “Let us not capitulate to external interests in the region, but rather, define and drive our priorities in the interest of our people,” as he stressed the importance of cooperation and development on issues raised in the forum.
China and the US are in an influence battle for the island nations in the region. In May, the US signed a bilateral defense pact with Papua New Guinea, after China and the Solomon Islands signed a security pact agreement in 2022.
With the 15-year Defense Cooperation Agreement, Papua New Guinea granted unimpeded access for the US military to critical defense facilities in the island nation, including the joint Papua New Guinea-Australia Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island.
The Pacific Islands Forum is comprised of 18 members – Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.