Delivered by the Honourable Tingika Elikana, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marine Resources and Parliamentary Services of the Cook Islands at the 5th PALM Ministerial Interim Meeting
12 February 2024
Her Excellency Yoko Kamikawa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan
Fellow Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Kia Orana and warm greetings from the peoples of the Pacific. It is my honour to address you today as the representative of the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and Co-chair of our 5th PALM Ministerial Interim Meeting.
At the outset, on behalf of my colleague Ministers, let me welcome you my fellow Co-chair, Her Excellency Yoko Kamikawa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan to the Pacific and the beautiful islands of Fiji. It is indeed an honour and privilege to have you with us.
In particular, we welcome the opportunity to meet for the first time today at Foreign Minister level in the Pacific Islands. We thank you Minister Kamikawa for your commitment and making this a reality.
Over two years have passed since PALM9, and, in that time, we have seen a number of significant developments both close to home and globally.
PALM9 was held at a time when the Pacific region and indeed the world was grappling with COVID-19 pandemic. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic has been devastating, and the Pacific is still trying to recover.
As we continue to recover, and in the context of our 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and our development aspirations, we recognise that genuine partnerships are essential. Indeed, in our ever-changing and unpredictable world, partnerships are now more important than ever before.
In this regard, we value Japan’s role as a long-standing Forum Dialogue Partner. We also see our PALM partnership as a critical means of strengthening our region’s relationship with Japan.
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.
Indeed, this is our first collective engagement for the Pacific Islands Forum at a Ministerial level, with the Government 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.
As the Pacific Islands Forum, we wish to reaffirm, the 2050 Strategy and its Implementation Plan now frame the partnerships we seek and engage as a collective. The value and strength of our partnerships will be measured against commitments and support for the priorities outlined in the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan. Partnerships will be central to the achievement of these priorities and outcomes.
I invite Government of Japan and my fellow Ministers to continue to strengthen our partnership, commitment, and actions from the PALM.
Thank you and I now invite Minister Kamikawa to deliver her remarks.
[ENDS]
