Pacific Islands Forum Troika leaders meet in Rarotonga to advance regional agenda

Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum Troika met earlier today in Rarotonga to review key regional developments and continue advancing collective Forum priorities.

Convened in the margins of the Cook Islands’ 60th Constitution celebrations, the Troika meeting brought together the Prime Minister of Tonga and current Chair of the Forum, the Honourable ’Aisake Valu Eke; Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, the Honourable Mark Brown; and the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands and incoming Chair, the Honourable Jeremiah Manele, who joined virtually. Also participating online was Palau’s Minister of State, the Honourable Gustav N. Aitaro, Special Envoy of President Surangel Whipps Jr, representing the Micronesian sub-region.

Opening the meeting, Prime Minister Eke extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Brown for hosting the Troika in Rarotonga, and congratulated the Government and people of the Cook Islands on the nation’s 60th year of self-governance.  

A key item on the agenda was the virtual presentation by the High-Level Persons Group, summarising the findings from their region-wide consultation on the Review of the Regional Architecture. Leaders agreed on the importance of continued dialogue to ensure the region’s governance systems remain responsive to both current and emerging challenges across the Blue Pacific. Upcoming meetings of Forum Foreign Ministers and Forum Leaders were highlighted as key opportunities to advance this work.   

Following this discussion, Leaders welcomed an update from Prime Minister Manele on the 54th PIF Leaders Meeting, to be hosted in Honiara this September. The Troika reaffirmed their full support to Solomon Islands as incoming Chair.

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat also briefed Leaders on recent foreign policy developments by the United States, and their potential implications for regional organisations, with more updates to follow when Leaders convene in Honiara.

The final agenda item was a virtual update from Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Honourable Chris Bowen, on progress with Australia’s bid to host COP31 in partnership with Pacific Island Countries.

Prime Minister Mark Brown expressed appreciation for the opportunity to host the Troika discussions in Rarotonga, “It was a pleasure to bring the Forum Troika together here in the Cook Islands during such a meaningful time for our people and government. The strength of the Troika mechanism lies in its ability to maintain political continuity and momentum across our region’s most pressing issues. That we were able to bring Leaders together, both in person and virtually in Rarotonga reflects the role we continue to play in advancing Pacific cooperation.”

The Forum Troika comprising the outgoing, current, and incoming Chairs of the Pacific Islands Forum serves as a key leadership mechanism to drive momentum across the Forum’s policy agenda. The Cook Islands will conclude its term in Troika in September at the upcoming Forum Leaders Meeting, as Palau steps in to join Tonga and Solomon Islands in guiding the Forum’s ongoing regional agenda.