A bilateral meeting held between Papua New Guinea and Fiji Prime Ministers yesterday in Port Moresby was none other than fruitful, says Fiji PM Sitiveni Rabuka.
Prime Minister James Marape and Prime Minister Rabuka discussed issues of importance to both nations especially on opening respective high commissions and expansion of investment opportunities.
Both leaders met at the APEC House in Port Moresby ahead of the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation to take place on Monday May 22.
Highlighted during the dialogue was climate change, an ongoing concern in the Pacific which will be further elaborated in the coming days.
PM Rabuka said the two nations have a lot in common and as leaders in the Pacific, they are ready to take on issues of common interest with the rest of the Pacific by Monday when leaders meet.
“It was a fruitful discussion and I look forward to more fruitful discussions in the course of three days as we wait for our colleagues from the Pacific and also our guest from India and America in the next few days of dialogue,” PM Rabuka stated.
As leaders in the Pacific region, Prime Minister Marape said PM Rabuka’s arrival in Port Moresby ahead of the India-Pacific Islands Cooperation meeting is for the two leaders to consolidate awaiting the arrival of other Pacific leaders.
“Both PNG and Fiji as big economies in the region share the plight of many of our small island communities and island nations. We have many island communities in Fiji and PNG, we have over 600 island communities. But we have island nations exposed to climate change, inflation and tough times in their own local economies as a result of war that is not in their doing,” PM Marape stated.
“As big brothers in the Pacific, both nations PNG and Fiji are standing together on those regional issues as we await to welcome our Pacific Island leaders into Papua New Guinea on Sunday. Together we will be addressing those issues.”