PINA

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Tonga today signed a USD$10 million grant agreement to help the country expedite its recovery from disasters and health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement was signed by Tonga’s Minister of Finance Tiofilusi Tiueti and the ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office Regional Director Aaron Batten. The grant was approved by...

Australian Prime Minister Albanese will visit Fiji today to hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Nadi. Australia and Fiji are warm friends and natural partners, with a shared interest in preserving a peaceful, prosperous and resilient region for our Pacific family. The Prime Ministers will meet at Blackrock Camp to discuss ways to strengthen Australia and...

Days after two cyclones made landfall on Vanuatu within the span of 48 hours, ministers from Pacific Island nations are gathering in the nation's capital from today to deliberate on building towards regional solidarity around a managed phaseout of fossil fuels. This Ministerial Dialogue, hosted by the Governments of Vanuatu and Tuvalu in Port Vila, follows on from COP27 in...

-With Pacific nations facing some of the worst effects of climate change in the world, New Zealand is preparing to change the way it gives aid to its partners so they have more say in how, and where, money is spent. The Government is set to give Pacific nations greater control over the climate change aid they receive from New...

Diplomats from nearly 200 nations and top climate scientists began a week-long huddle in Switzerland on Monday to distil nearly a decade of published science into a 20-odd-page warning about the existential danger of global warming and what to do about it. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's synthesis report -- to be released on 20 March --...

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki te kanohi with Government leaders and reaffirm the...

The Fiji Government’s second joint Humanitarian Response team deployed to assist in recovery efforts in Vanuatu following the aftermath of Tropical Cyclones Kevin and Judy departed Fiji Tuesday. The team which comprised of the Commissioner Eastern Division, Vitale Varo, and 30 personnel from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) will complement the first team that arrived in Vanuatu last...

The immediate help Fiji sent to assist the regions hardest-hit by the cyclone shows the strong links both countries have with each other, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta says. Mahuta will travel to Fiji today to meet with its Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. It is her first visit to the Pacific nation since the election of its new coalition...

Interview with Tion Uriam, national coordinator for hydrography and charting, Kiribati By Wim van Wegen The impacts of climate change and sea-level rise on daily life in Kiribati and the Pacific region can also be felt in the hydrographic profession. In this interview, Tion Uriam, the national coordinator for hydrography and charting in Kiribati, emphasises the challenges faced by Pacific Island...

Analysis The question being asked around the Pacific is to how the region's leaders could agree to Nauru's Baron Waqa becoming the new secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum. This is a high-level diplomatic post and the former Nauru president has proven to be a controversial figure. The secretary general's role is typically filled by someone from a strong diplomatic...