The Cook Islands, in its capacity as chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and Japan co-chaired the first Senior Officials Meeting for the upcoming 10th Japan-Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM).

Mackenzi Wichman, director of the International and Trade Division, co-chaired the meeting with Toshihisa Takata, Japan’s Ambassador for PALM and former Ambassador for Japan to the Cook Islands, on January 23.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI), said the meeting served as a precursor to the forthcoming 5^th PALM Interim Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to take place in Suva, Fiji, in February.

The Senior Officials Meeting provided a platform for PIF members and Japan to review progress on the PALM9 Leaders Declaration from 2021, the statement said.

It also afforded an opportunity for discussion on future possible areas of cooperation between Japan and the PIF, setting the stage for the negotiation of the PALM10 document due in July this year.

In her introductory remarks, Wichman welcomed Japan’s elevated engagement with the PIF throughout 2023. This included Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosting PIF chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to a visit to Japan in February to discuss the ALPS issue, followed by a visit to the Pacific by then Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and participation of the PIF through PM Brown in the G7 Summit hosted by Japan, in Hiroshima, at the invitation of PM Kishida.

For the PIF, the key message was the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and the Implementation Plan approved by PIF Leaders at their meeting in Rarotonga at the end of last year frame the partnerships they seek and engage as a collective, including with Japan.

Wichman said: “The value and strength of our partnerships will be measured against commitments and support for the priorities outlined in the 2050 IP.  Partnerships will be central to the achievement of those priorities and outcomes”.

The Japanese government has begun final arrangements to host the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) in mid-July, inviting the leaders of all 18 Pacific Island Forum (PIF) members to Tokyo.

At the summit, Japan plans to launch support measures based on the needs of Pacific island countries, such as climate change countermeasures, aiming to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

Japan has been hosting the meeting every three years since 1997. As the previous meeting in 2021 was held by video conference due to Covid-19, this will be the first time in six years that the event will be held in person.

• MFAI/The Yomiuri Shimbun