PINA

France is “checking” whether a high-level mission to New Caledonia will be possible prior to or after the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Summit in Tonga at the end of the month. Forum leaders have written to French President Emmanuel Macron requesting to send a Forum Ministerial Committee to Nouméa to gather information from all sides involved in the ongoing crisis. The...

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will travel today to Fiji to attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers Meeting. “This is my fifth visit to Fiji as Foreign Minister, demonstrating the importance the Australian Government places on our deep and enduring relationship with Fiji and the broader Pacific family. “Attending the PIF Foreign Ministers Meeting is an opportunity to exchange...

Palau Presidential candidate Tommy Esang Remengesau, Jr has officially declared his candidacy at the Palau Election Commission. With support from families and friends, the grassroots candidate filed his candidacy after over 5,000 petition signatures urged him to run. In response to personal claims that his candidacy is unconstitutional, he reiterated, “We have always adhered to the rules and the constitution, and...

Australia’s nearest neighbour could be about to sell its power grid to China in a move that would hand Beijing unprecedented influence in the South Pacific and a presence right on our doorstep. Management from Papua New Guinea’s state-owned electricity provider PNG Power Limited have travelled to China and are open to investment. Speaking exclusively to 7NEWS, PNG Power director Marlen...

The experiences and challenges facing Pacific journalists attempting to uphold freedom of expression and information across the region, will be captured for the first time in an inaugural survey of Pacific media freedoms, For us By us. About us. Launched today by the regional media freedoms watchdog, Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF), the survey asks journalists in 14 Pacific countries excluding...

The South West Pacific Heads of Maritime Forces (SWPHMF) met Wednesday in an exclusive meeting in Nuku’alofa, held at the Leadership Centre, Masefield Naval Base. “This meeting is a chance for the heads of maritime forces to share knowledge, skills, and action plans to ensure the safety of the largest ocean in the world, the Pacific,” said Commander of Tonga...

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...