PINA

The European Union (EU) has commended our Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sitiveni Rabuka for his exemplary leadership towards Fiji's national development and the Pacific's solidarity. The EU's strong support was conveyed to PM Rabuka during an introductory courtesy call received Monday by the Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific, Sujiro...

-Papua New Guinea acting Prime Minister John Rosso has assured Papua New Guineans, residents and businesses that a short term arrangement has been reached between Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) and PUMA to continue supplying fuel while work is being done to address regulatory requirements of BPNG. He clarifies that the issue between BPNG and PUMA is not shortage...

By Henry Puna, Forum Secretary General & Pacific Ocean Commissioner As our Pacific Forum Leaders gather this week for their Special Retreat in Nadi, Fiji, their leading officials and Oceans negotiators from our Blue Pacific region will be joining the rest of the world at the UN Headquarters in New York. They are there to conclude negotiations for a treaty...

By Joanna Chiu Brown-black discharge gushed out of a pipe from a hulking ship, dispersing murky clouds of sediment into the international waters of the Pacific Ocean. The scene, captured in a video that’s garnered international attention, turned a spotlight to a controversial Canadian company that is poised to become the first in the world to extract critical metals from...

By Jack Graham Delegates from up to 193 UN member states resume talks in New York on Monday in an effort to wrap up negotiations on a long-awaited treaty to protect the world's oceans from overfishing, pollution and other threats. The high seas - areas lying beyond countries' exclusive economic zones - make up nearly two-thirds of the world's oceans,...

The Fijian Drua have confirmed the signing of cult hero and damaging winger Eroni Sau. 'The Sledgehammer' returns to the Drua after playing a key role in their NRC title campaign in 2018. The 33-year-old will join the Drua this week from French ProD2 side Provence on a one-year deal. “This is a homecoming of sorts for Eroni, who is very highly...

Pacific Islands Forum Heads of States have started to arrive in Fiji Monday. The leaders will be in the country for the Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat that will be held from 24 - 25, February in Nadi. Arriving into the Nadi International Airport today was President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands David Kabua and the Premier of...

China has named a special envoy to fill a new role in its Pacific Islands diplomacy as it competes with the United States for influence in the region. Qian Bo, former China’s ambassador to Fiji since 2018, was appointed as the first special envoy of the Chinese government on Pacific Islands affairs, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced last Wednesday. Wang...

Palau will be the site of a proposed Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner if the Micronesian group’s demand from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is granted. The leaders of Palau, Kiribati, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of the Marshall Islands were in Pohnpei to hold the Micronesian President Summit retreat and in the same meeting, the leaders...

-The Australian government decided to publicly release information about problems with Pacific patrol boats despite a warning from defence officials that this could harm important regional relationships. In previously secret advice, the Department of Defence also raised fears that potential publicity about the problems “may then be exploited by criminal networks or malign actors”. Pacific island countries rely on the Guardian-class...