West Papua, Indonesia bids to dominate discussions
Interests to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group by the pro-independence group in West Papua as well as Indonesia are expected to dominate next week’s biennial summit in the Solomon Islands of MSG Leaders.
The two larger MSG members, Papua New Guinea and Fiji are backing the associate membership application of Jakarta, and Director General of the MSG, Peter Forau confirmed to journalists covering the pre-MSG Leaders summit in Honiara today that his Secretariat has received Indonesia’s formal application.
He also confirmed that the West Papua application has been lodged.
The first of a series of meetings leading up to next week MSG Leaders Summit started in the Solomon Islands capital today (Thursday) where senior foreign affairs officials from Fiji, Vanuatu, the FLNKS group in New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and host Solomon Islands are going through the agenda items of the summit.
By end of tomorrow (Friday), these officials hope to finalise the agenda that will then be presented before the MSG Foreign Ministers Meeting, scheduled to begin in Honiara on Monday next week. Foreign Ministers need to approve the agenda in time for their Leaders Summit that will start with an elaborate ceremony of welcome on the grounds of the Solomon Islands Museum on Wednesday.
On Thursday next week, MSG Leaders will proceed to their customary island retreat, before they re-gather in Honiara on Friday for the plenary and release of their decisions in the form of the summit communiqué.
A dramatic plan to announce Solomon Islands’ position on West Papua by the country’s Prime Minister Mannaseh Sogavare through an address to the nation on state radio today fizzled out when the proposed announcement was cancelled abruptly with no reasons offered.
In a front-page story today, the Solomon Star newspaper predicted that the announcement would “bring smiles to local supporters of West Papua.” The newspaper added that with PNG and Fiji offering to support Indonesia’s bid, support for West Papua by the Sogavare Government would be “crucial.”
Assuming the chairmanship of the MSG Senior Officials meeting today, acting Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Solomon Islands, Joseph Maa’hanva spoke about everything but West Papua or Indonesia’s membership bid.
He highlighted climate change as among challenges MSG member countries need to overcome in order “for peace, progress and prosperity is sustainable for all.” Efforts needed to be galvanised he said to ensure that “no one in any of our membership is left behind.”
Addressing senior MSG officials, MSG’s deputy director general Molean Kilepak highlighted several issues officials needed to discuss for presentation to their ministers and through them, to their leaders.
This he said included the MSG’s strategic plan for the next 25 years, and the creation of the MSG’s business arm, named Melanesian Solutions. The MSG Free Trade Agreement that will lead to the creation of a free trade area between all Melanesian countries is also on the agenda, Kilepak added, as well the need to create a Melanesia Emergency and Stablisation Fund and a MSG Development Fund.
Other possible agenda items include an MSG private sector development strategy, report of the Melanesian shipping study and the creation of an MSG police peacekeeping force.
Picture: MSG senior officials meeting chairman, Ambassador Joseph Maa'hanva, acting foreign affairs permanent secretary in the Solomon Islands.-- Photo: Samisoni Pareti