By Pita Ligaiula in Honiara, Solomon Islands
Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa says this week’s Leaders Meeting in Honiara will be successful despite the Solomon Islands government’s decision to bar dialogue partners from attending.
“As you know, the full-fledged Leaders Meeting is one that we’ve set over the years and that includes a lot of others. Even though there are some changes in the setup this time, I think we have to regroup, reset ourselves. I’m confident the meeting will be taken through day by day until the Leaders’ Retreat and will be successful without our dialogue partners,” Waqa said in response to PACNEWS question.
He stressed that partners remain important to the Forum and will be back when Palau hosts next year.
“I’m not saying that we don’t need them. We need them. And they’ll be back next year in Palau,” he said.
Waqa noted that a wider review of how partners engage with the Forum is underway.
“You remember that there’s this review going on at all levels—not just our engagement with partners but how they engage with us and how they come into our region with a genuine attitude to partner with us. Those are the kinds of things that the Solomon Islands government unmistakably prioritised in this meeting, to keep the focus on that and give more time for leaders.”
He added that partners would continue to engage the region through bilateral arrangements and ongoing projects.
“Without the partners, the meeting will continue. It’s one aspect of the Leaders Meeting that we sit with partners and they bring to the table what they offer the region.
“It’s not going to change much because, as you know, partners have bilateral arrangements with individual countries anyway. These are the more active partners. They will continue to work with the Forum as well. The EU has several projects. Japan, the United States—even post-dialogue partners like Taiwan will continue to work with the Forum and member countries,” said SG Waqa.
