Prime Minister Mark Brown met with Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Biman Prasad in the margins of the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) in Suva last week.

They held discussions on a possible future Cook Islands - Fiji transport connectivity for air and sea, business, trade, and investment expansion, including improving ease of labour mobility within the region and working collaboratively to support Pacific Islands Forum priorities as articulated in the 2022 Leaders Communique.

The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Brown and Deputy Prime Minister Prasad echoed the views both had contributed during FEMM and the University of the South Pacific (USP) public lecture held earlier in the week, with Prime Minister Brown introducing the Cook Islands Partnerships for Prosperity proposal, which is aligned with the 2050 strategy and comprising current and new regional collective actions including the re-designed Pacific Resilience Facility.

Also last week, Brown, the Pacific Islands Forum chair, had the first formal meeting of the Troika Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Suva which included Fiji PM Sitiveni Rabuka, the recent past chair, and Prime Minister of Tonga, Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, the incoming chair.

According to a statement from the Fiji Government, they discussed the region’s key priorities and how the Forum Troika mechanism could enhance regional unity and solidarity, coherence and collective action, and transformative initiatives in securing the future of the region, through the implementation of 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

The meeting was an important step in the build up to the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders to be held in Rarotonga from November 6-10.