SOLOMON STAR
PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare says Pacific Island nations have an obligation to each other to share views of common interest.
Sir Michael told Fiji Broadcasting Corporation he and other island leaders are at the Engaging Pacific Meeting to discuss regional issues and also talk to Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
"I’m here to also talk to Prime Minister Bainimarama and find out how things are going, and I think other leaders the same, so that we have a firm mind of what we are doing up to the Forum, as Pacific nations we have an obligation to each other and that is the reason why we are here".
Sir Michael said Bainimarama is now the recognised leader of Fiji and they want to know how things are going in Fiji.
“He’s a leader of his people, that’s his responsibility, to talk to us and share some views that he has, how things are going and what he is doing.
“And if we have to report back to main Forum, then we will say, this is how things are going in Fiji.
“He’s given dates and he’s given a timeline for democratic elections. He is the leader, recognised for a long time now, almost four years, and we allow him to look at his own process and determine the future of his own people.”
Sir Michael was also adamant that the Pacific was not politically divided, and in an exchange with FBC News, says Australia and New Zealand are not Pacific island people.
FBC News: Sir, is the Pacific politically divided?
Somare: No. Pacific is not divided. We are unified.
FBC News: Some of you are here and some are not…
Somare: Who are these people?
FBC News: Australia, New Zealand, Samoa..
Somare: Well I don’t consider Australia and New Zealand as Pacific island people, Samoa may have other reasons, as a sovereign state they determine their own stand, but we’ve decided that I attend the meeting, I attend the meeting.
Sir Michael further said that Australia and NZ don’t consider themselves as Pacific island states but as continents.
No comments:
Post a Comment