The newly-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Tingika Elikana co-chaired the 5th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) Ministerial Interim Meeting in Suva on Sunday with Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.

In a statement, MFAI said the ministerial meeting follows last month’s Japan and Pacific Islands Forum Senior Officials Meeting (SOM). The outcomes of the ministerial meeting will contribute towards preparations for the 10^th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) to be held in Tokyo from July 16-18.

Minister Elikana was supported in his chairing responsibilities by Forum Secretariat officials as well as MFAI officials including Director International Affairs and Trade Division Mackenzi Wichman, who also chaired the preceding SOM meeting.

“We welcome the ongoing cooperation and partnership with Japan within the PALM framework and our collective efforts to align the areas of co-operation with our 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its Implementation Plan as we progress preparations for PALM10,” Minister Elikana.

The priority areas for forward co-operation agreed by the Pacific Islands Forum and Japan’s foreign ministers include climate change and disasters, ocean and environment, resources and economic development, technology and connectivity and people centered development.

“The Cook Islands is particularly keen to focus early co-operation on initiatives that will bolster Pacific nations economic and climatic resilience,” the statement said.

Elikana also emphasised the need for inter-regional cooperation and acknowledged the significance of the meeting.

“Today, we have the opportunity to advance our dialogue on regional priorities and promote the inter-regional cooperation key to ensuring that these priorities are recognised as globally important.

“This is our first collective engagement for the Pacific Islands Forum at a Ministerial level, with the Government of Japan since the intense bilateral engagements in the region in 2023.”

“Today is an opportunity to both efficiently reflect on PALM9 to ensure that we are meeting the commitments set forth in that meeting and effectively look forward to PALM10, to discuss our vision and priorities for the future,” Elikana said.

• Additional reporting by Pacnews