Australia’s new foreign minister, Penny Wong travels to Fiji Thursday “to discuss how we can best secure our region and help build a stronger Pacific family.”
She says the visit in her first week on the job “demonstrates the importance we place on our relationship with Fiji and on our Pacific engagement.”
Wong says Australia will listen to its Pacific partners on issues such as tackling climate change, pandemic recovery, economic development and regional security.
She will meet Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Fiji’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, as well as other senior ministers and Fijian women leaders, ahead of next month’s Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders meeting.
She will also meet Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna, and deliver a speech at the Forum Secretariat on the new energy and commitments Australia is making to play our part in strengthening our Pacific family.
“These commitments include taking real action on climate change at home and with our region, as well as increased development assistance and security cooperation, and reforming and expanding our Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme,” her statement today says.
DFAT/ ISLANDS BUSINESS/PACNEWS
