Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific Lead Digital and Social Media Journalist@kelvinfijikelvin.anthony@rnz.co.nz
The Pacific region’s focus will shift briefly to Port Vila next week when Vanuatu hosts the heads of governments from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the leader of the FLNKS of New Caledonia for the 22nd Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders’ Summit.
The regional sub-group had met on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in July last year for the handover of the chair’s role from PNG to Vanuatu. But next week will be its first full meeting since the leaders’ last gathered in Port Moresby pre-Covid, in February 2018.
The theme for this year’s meet is ‘MSG, Being Relevant & Influential’. It will be 15 years since Vanuatu last hosted the Leaders’ Summit, which is the pre-eminent decision making body of the MSG.
It is a group fundamentally established 35 years ago to represent and advance the interests of Melanesia and its people.
READ FULL ARTICLE : https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/496083/west-papua-high-on-agenda-as-msg-leaders-set-to-convene-in-port-vila
