PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i


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PACIFIC FORUM TO DISCUSS REGIONAL CURRENCY

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, September 15) – The idea to have a regional currency in the region will be amongst some of the agendas that will be discussed in the upcoming Forum Leaders Meeting at the end of October in Nadi, Fiji.

This was highlighted by the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Greg Urwin at a press conference with local journalists in Honiara yesterday.

He said labor mobility and currency in the region are issues, which will be the center of discussion.

It's understood that the issue of a regional currency was previously discussed during a recent PIF meeting and this year it will be among some issues to be divulged on by the regional heads of government.

The Pacific Plan, which was adopted last year in Port Moresby, will also top the forum's agenda.

"At the leaders' meeting the Prime Ministers from the regional countries will be briefed about the progress made so far in the Pacific Plan," Mr Urwin said.

The Pacific Plan was implemented last year and some of the regional countries are already implementing it.

The Pacific Plan was also discussed at the recent Okinawa Summit meeting in Japan in which Japan will also help in some of the areas that have been highlighted in the plan.

The report on the progress of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and the support to the people of Nauru are also high on the agenda and will be discussed at the meeting.

Mr Urwin highlighted that labor mobility is one of the hot topics in the region and it will be amongst other topics that will be discussed at the meeting.

Most of the agendas that have been highlighted had been briefed by the Secretary General to the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare during their meeting in Honiara this week.

The Forum leaders' meeting was shifted to Fiji from Tonga following the death of Tonga's king.

September 18, 2006

Solomon Star: http://www.solomonstarnews.com

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2006/September/09-18-14.htm

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2006/October/10-20-03.htm

PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i


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SOLOMONS SEND 20-MEMBER DELEGATION TO FIJI FORUM

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Oct. 19) – Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is leading close to a 20-person delegation today for the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Nadi, Fiji.

The meeting will be held between 23-25 October.

Mr Sogavare’s delegation will also include cabinet ministers including foreign minister Hon. Patteson Oti and senior government officials.

Mr Sogavare and his delegation will be picked up this morning by his Papua New Guinea counterpart, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, on a chartered Air Niugini flight.

They will then travel together to Vanuatu to pick up their counterpart, Hon. Ham Lini and his delegation to Fiji.

Solomon Islands High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency Bernard Bata’anisia, said high on the Pacific Islands Forum agenda are the review of the Pacific Plan, appointment of the new Secretary General, and an update on the progress of RAMSI.

The government is yet to announce who it will support for the forum’s top job.

Preceding the PIF are the Small Island States Meeting and the Pacific ACP Meeting on the morning and afternoon of 23rd October respectively.

The Post Forum Dialogue Partners will take place on the 26-27 October.

Howard denies Australian role in raid on office of Solomons PM


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061023/wl_asia_afp/pacificdiplomacyforumaust

NADI, Fiji (AFP) - Australian Prime Minister John
Howard has denied the Australian government had any
role in the police raid on the office of Solomon
Islands leader Manasseh Sogavare.

Earlier in the day leaders from Papua New Guinea,
Vanuatu and Fiji -- as well as from the Solomons
Islands -- issued a statement condemning the raid as
an attack on the Solomons sovereignty.

"We haven't violated anyone's sovereignty and any
suggestion Australia had anything to do with that raid
is totally wrong," Howard told reporters after
arriving in Nadi.

A door was broken down and a fax machine taken as
Australian police seconded to the Solomons force and
from the Regional Mission to the Solomon Islands
(RAMSI) searched for evidence in Sogavare's office
Friday linking the Solomon Islands government to the
Attorney-General Julian Moti's flight from Papua New
Guinea.

Howard said the raid had nothing to do with Australia,
which has tried to extradite Moti from Papua New
Guinea and the Solomon Islands on child sex charges.

"A number of the police come from Australia including
the police commissioner but he's acting as the head of
the Solomon Islands' police force," he told reporters.

"He doesn't take any instructions from me or from any
officials from Australia, so any suggestion this was
an action in which Australia was involved in any way
is totally wrong."

The Moti case has worsened relations between Australia
and the Solomon Islands, which had already angered
Canberra by expelling its ambassador last month.

The statement on Monday by the four countries that
make up the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) described
the raid as provocative and unnecessary.

"These actions are certainly a serious violation of
Solomon Islands territorial sovereignty and integrity,
and are inconsistent with the United Nations charter
on the respect for the principles of sovereignty," the
MSG leaders said.

Australia's row with the Solomon Islands and Papua New
Guinea -- where Moti fled from in a PNG military plane
to evade extradition proceedings -- is overshadowing
the Pacific Islands Forum summit of 16 regional
leaders starting in Nadi Tuesday.

Aus aid is on the ropes, what do you all think??

Yeh...of course! They'll pull out because the PNG government doesnt want them there. Ta ta Ausaid!