Prime Minister Mark Brown, who is the Pacific Islands Forum chair, had the first formal meeting of the Troika Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Suva, Fiji, this week.

The Troika includes Brown, the current chair, 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 Forum Troika will work towards enhancing partnerships for prosperity for the Pacific people, through the theme of “Our Voices, Our Choices, the Pacific Way – Promote, Partner, and Prosper” delivered through the 2050 Strategy and Implementation Plan.

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

The Forum Troika meeting marked the end of a week’s high-level meeting of the 26^th Forum Economic Ministers Meeting that was also hosted this week in Suva.

PM Brown with his delegation that included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration secretary Tepaeru Herrmann, who met with the Minister of Finance of Tuvalu Seve Paeniu.

Their discussions included exploring co-operation in domestic shipping operations and crewing, cybersecurity, stronger people-to-people links acknowledging the Tuvalu community living in the Cook Islands, and Forum priorities as articulated in the 2022 Leaders Communique, including agenda items on the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) held this week.

The two agreed there was an urgent need to re-calibrate the FEMM approach and agenda to focus on strengthening business co-operation within the Pacific, and that air, sea, and ICT connectivity were critical to enabling that.

Brown also met the Vice President of Kiribati, Teuea Toatui and their talks focused on possible future bilateral cooperation in maritime crewing, and people-to-people links acknowledging the Kiribati community living in the Cook Islands.

They also discussed elements of the Suva Agreement such as the set-up of a Forum office in Kiribati.

According to the MFAI, Brown, as the Pacific Islands Forum Chair, affirmed his support for the establishment of the Forum Sub-regional Office in Kiribati.