PINA

Australia urged China to avoid “coercion” in the Pacific Islands and to be “more transparent in the aid” it provides on Wednesday, acknowledging a "state of permanent contest" between Beijing and the West. Australia's Pacific minister Pat Conroy said new economic opportunities for Pacific Island nations should not be “accompanied by coercion and interference”. “We want to see a region where...

Tonga has the backing of Pacific economic ministers to host the regional community resilience financing facility. The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) was endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders to make it easier for Pacific Island nations to access climate financing for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and early disaster response projects. “The Pacific Resilience Facility is our own,” PIF secretary...

Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni has rejected claims that there is a foreign affairs ministerial portfolio standoff which poses a threat to the upcoming Pacific leaders meeting. Tonga is hosting Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Summit at the end of this month. Earlier this year, Tonga's King Tupou VI disapproved of the government's appointment of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a...

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the constitution is a respected document meant to bring the Fijian people together. This comes as momentum builds within Parliament to try and amend the current constitution. The Prime Minister said there needs to be a shift of these discussions only confined to political settings. Rabuka said the importance of public engagement in any deliberations concerning...

Competing at the Olympics is a milestone, but finishing in the top five is the icing on the cake. Papua New Guinea lifter and three-time Olympian, Morea Baru, expressed this sentiment after his impressive performance at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Baru finished fifth in the Men's 61kg Weightlifting event at South Paris Arena 6, ahead of competitors from Georgia and...

The Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) faces significant financial challenges that threaten its operations, said Secretary-General Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti at the 117th Session of the OACPS Council of Ministers last month. “Our temporary headquarters prevents us from holding in-person sessions, and our dire financial situation doesn't allow us to hire conference facilities,” Chikoti said. Chikoti emphasised three...

COVID-19 infections are surging worldwide - including at the Olympics - and are unlikely to decline anytime soon, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Tuesday. The UN health agency is also concerned that more severe variants of the coronavirus may soon be on the horizon. “COVID-19 is still very much with us,” and circulating in all countries, Dr Maria Van...

The EU Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, has reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to the region during this week's Pacific ACP (PACP) official meeting. She emphasised the Samoa Agreement’s Pacific Protocol, detailing the institutional framework being established to enhance cooperation. “We are working on setting up a Pacific-EU Council of Ministers and a Joint Committee. Once we finalise the details,...

President of India Droupadi Murmu has conveyed the Indian government’s philosophy regarding the Pacific region to Fiji’s leadership. This stance was relayed by Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary East of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, during a press briefing Tuesday. Mazumdar, who is traveling with President Murmu, emphasised that India respects the sovereignty of the Pacific region. In response to questions...

In co-hosting the Indo-Pacific Environmental Security Forum (IPESF 24), Fiji and the United States demonstrate their shared commitment to addressing sustainable development challenges. This was shared by the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and Immigration, Mason Smith while officially welcoming participants at the IPESF24 that is currently underway at the Inter-Continental Resort in Natadola Tuesday. “It also shows our shared commitment...