PINA

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...

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has condemned the reported killing of New Zealand helicopter pilot Glen Malcolm Conning in Alama, Mimika Regency “If true, I condemn this killing in the strongest possible terms,” said President Wenda. “We mourn Conning's death and do not want any more bloodshed on West Papuan land.” The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) denied...

By Brittany Nawaqatabu Today marks the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and the 39th anniversary of the Treaty of Rarotonga opening for signatures in 1985, as the world and region remember the horrors of nuclear weapons and stand in solidarity, there is still work to be done. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has stated that...

A day etched into Tahitian history thanks to the will and drive of 22-year-old, Kauli Vaast. No longer just a local hero – but as of now, an Olympic surfing champion. The hometown boy carried the dreams of the French Polynesian people on his shoulders, and he carried their love and his skillset into the final, where he proved he...

The national rugby team of Samoa has pulled out of its Northern Hemisphere tour due to "significant financial challenges" and to "avoid embarrassment of being the first small union to go bankrupt". In a letter, dated 11 July 2024, seen by RNZ Pacific, Lakapi Samoa board chair, Tu'ilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, wrote to World Rugby's chairman Sir Bill Beaumont that the...

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu reaffirmed India’s commitment to tackling climate change and its effects, such as rising sea levels, which threaten both nations. Addressing the Fiji Parliament Tuesday, Murmu stressed the critical roles both nations play in combating these global challenges. “Fiji today is recognised around the world for its growing contribution to our common efforts focused on two...

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and Tongan Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni is still waiting for Paris to approve a Pacific mission to New Caledonia. Last month, the French Ambassador to the Pacific, Véronique Roger-Lacan, said President Emmanuel Macron was yet to sign a letter authorising a high-level PIF delegation to visit the French territory. The PIF wants to send a...

India's President Droupadi Murmu praised the deep-rooted democratic values of Fiji and reaffirmed the enduring friendship between the two nations. Addressing the Fiji Parliament today, Murmu highlighted the common principles that bind India and Fiji despite their geographical distance. “I would like to express my deep appreciation for the strong democratic ethos in Fiji, Murmu said, emphasising the shared values between the...

The Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent envisions a peaceful, harmonious and secure Pacific region. A war breaking out due to geopolitics would not exactly align with those goals. If push comes to shove, Baron Waqa, the new Forum secretary general, would rather the combatants spare the Pacific. “We don't want them to fight in our backyard...