The Associate Minister for Justice, Finance and Economic Management, Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Tingika Elikana, chaired the Forum Trade Ministers Meeting in Suva this week.

Speaking to the Pacific ministers, Elikana said that the Cook Islands, as host and chair of the 52^nd Pacific Islands Forum, is looking forward to welcoming members to Rarotonga on November 6.

He said that the theme of this year’s Forum Leaders meeting is “Our Voices, Our Choices; Our Pacific Way: Promote, Partner, Prosper,” which is aligned with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

“The development of the Implementation Plan of the Strategy is underway and will be endorsed by Leaders during their convening (November meeting). Cook Islands looks forward to welcoming all of you to our beautiful shores,” Elikana said.

He said that the Cook Islands will submit for consideration of Forum Leaders the “Pacific Partnership for Prosperity (PPfP)”, which has nine initiatives, including a key initiative to develop the Regional Framework on Climate Mobility, which has been championed by Tuvalu and Fiji, and to balance the Pacific Labour Mobility Framework.

“The PPfP represents existing and new initiatives that have transformative potential by attracting new funding, investment, and partnerships to benefit our Pacific communities.”

The main agenda for the Forum Trade Ministers and officials from Forum member countries this week included dialogue on the current regional trade and investment landscape following the effects of Covid-19 and other global events, as well as making connections to the changing global trade and investment landscape.

Close to 120 participants registered for the Ministerial meetings, as official-level talks set the proposed trade agenda for the region in support of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

According to the Forum Secretariat’s office, this is the final Forum Standing meeting of the year before Forum Leaders meet in the Cook Islands next month.