PNG and Fiji Leaders meet in Tokyo to resolve differences
O’Neill is expected to use the PALM meeting this week, a gathering of Pacific Leaders with Japan as an opportunity to hold bilateral talks with Bainimarama on a wide range of thorny issues that has affected relations between the two Melanesian nations.
“Yes I have a plan for Thursday to meet with Bainimarama. It is being planned. I meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the morning and later in afternoon with Bainimarama,” PM O’Neill confirmed to Pacific journalists in Tokyo.
When approached, the Fijian PM said he has not received anything from the Fijian Embassy in Japan for the planned meeting with the PNG Prime Minister.
“Not that I know of but I welcome Prime Minister O’Neill if he wants to talk on bilateral issues,” PM Bainimarama said.
PACNEWS has been told that high on O’Neill's agenda is Indonesia's bid to be an associated member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and the issue of West Papua to become a member. Also on the agenda is Bainimarama’s reluctance to attend this year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting to be held in Port Moresby in September.
Bainimarama has said he will not attend the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Summit unless Australia and New Zealand cease to become full members of the regional body.
O’Neill entourage arrived in Tokyo last night accompanied by Foreign Minister, Rimbink Pato and senior officials.
He will take part in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a number of Pacific leaders, as well as meet with representatives of Japan’s private sector.
PM O’Neill said the summit and related meetings will provide an opportunity to strengthen trade and cultural exchange with Japan, and partners around the Pacific.
“The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting has become an established forum for discussing a range of issues that are important for island nations.
“All islands, large or small, face a number of similar issues particularly as this relates to climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters.
“Papua New Guinea plays an important role in these discussions and I look forward to sharing views with other Leaders.
“Part of our meeting will take place in Fukushima which is an area that has seen first-hand the devastation that can be brought by seismic activity and tsunami.
“In Papua New Guinea we have our own experience of similar disaster including the Aitape tsunami in 1998, and there is information and experience we can further share.
“We are also experiencing heightened seismic activity in the New Guinea Islands at the moment and this has placed a number of government agencies on alert.
“As such disaster preparations and response mechanisms are very relevant topics for discussion for Papua New Guinea at the moment,” said O’Neill.
PM O’Neill said individual discussions with Leaders are an important part of building consensus on a range of issues that are discussed at multilateral forums, as well as create new bilateral opportunities.
“Dialogue between partners ensures that we can collectively advance our views and come to a common position when we meet at forums such as PALM, the Pacific Islands Forum, APEC and the United Nations.
“I further look forward to discussing opportunities to advance trade and exchange in education with our counterparts,” said O’Neill.
O’Neill said Japan is a very important partner for Papua New Guinea and through its purchase of LNG has increased the trade relationship.
“I look forward to meeting again with Prime Minister Abe, he is a great friend of Papua New Guinea and I expect to have a most fruitful discussion,” he said.
The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) has been held every three years since 1997. PALM7 will be held in Iwaki-city, Fukushima prefecture, on 22 - 23 May.
SOURCE: PACNEWS
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