Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr has nominated his country as Pacific Islands Forum chair in 2026.
If accepted, it would confirm a return to Micronesia and a healing of rifts which have marred the organisation in previous years.
Pacific leaders, including Australia’s Anthony Albanese, are meeting in Nuku’alofa for the annual PIF summit.
Tonga Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni will assume the chair position from this meeting for the next year, when it passes to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.
Beyond Manele’s tenure, there was a question on who might take on the role.
The leadership role was scheduled to return to Micronesia, which has not hosted the leaders’ meeting since Nauru in 2018.
In 2021, the five Micronesian countries announced their intention to leave PIF after their region was cut out of leadership roles.
PIF Chair Sitiveni Rabuka, assisted by a mighty diplomatic effort from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, patched the body back up with the Suva Agreement.
Since then, former Nauru president Baron Waqa has taken on the position of PIF secretary-general, with expectations of a summit returning to the Pacific’s smallest sub-region.
“We have asked to host,” Whipps said on Wednesday.
“We’ve asked our brothers from the Micronesian states that Palau have the opportunity to host.”
The decision is likely to be taken at the secretive leaders retreat on Thursday and confirmed in the meeting’s communique.
Should Micronesia endorse Palau’s candidacy, it is highly unlikely PIF leaders would refuse it, given it risks reopening past rifts.
