The 38th Pacific Island Leaders Forum has been officially opened with the first meeting expected to begin in the next hour.
Our News Director, Vijay Narayan reports from the meeting venue in Nuku'alofa.
"It seems the rainy conditions here in Nuku’alofa have the opening of the 38th Pacific Islands Leaders forum is underway it did not cool down temperatures for some as Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Commodore Frank Bainimarama Fiji’s Interim Prime Minister did not even see eye to eye when Commodore Bainimarama came onto stage to sit down along with other Leaders. The leaders were introduced according to alphabetical order so first up was Downer and Bainimarama followed soon after that. Very loud cheer followed when Commodore Bainimarama was introduced and he looked very relaxed, very calm turned to the crowd, waved to the crowd and then got up to the stage. As soon as he got up to the stage, Downer just looked away on the other side and did not want to even look at Bainimarama followed by NZ PM Helen Clarke who came soon after the same sort of reaction but the message during the official opening ceremony here from the outgoing chair of the forum, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Micheal Somare is that negotiations should be held in good faith today and tomorrow’s forum gets underway and all the countries should respect the sovereignty of all the states and not to interfere in what is happening in each country. They are asking for assistance to be provided rather than punitive measures to be taken. The incoming chairman, Tongan Prime Minister Dr Feleti Savele had similar sentiments and he has also said that the reservoir of good view and understanding should prevail as there is the real test for leaders of all the Pacific Islands Forum to ensure that they negotiate and talk around the table in good faith.
The first meeting is expected to be held in the next hour and we will see weather NZ PM Helen Clarke attends the meeting if Bainimarama enters the meeting venue. She has already said that she will not attend any meeting that Bainimarama attends and Bainimarama on the other side is calling on good sense to prevail. He wants to indulge in positive dialogue and says he will attend all the meetings".
Meanwhile, Interim Prime Minister Bainimarama and his delegation were accorded a Fiji traditional welcome ceremony last night where the Fijian Community wished them luck for the task ahead.
Close to 80 people gathered at the function organised by the Fiji Tonga Bussiness Council and former Fiji nationals who spoke at the function stressed that people must assist Commodore Bainimarama and his interim government in taking Fiji forward.
