Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, has announced he will go to the Pacific Islands Forum in Vanuatu this week.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is not attending the forum because of the election campaign.

But Smith has now announced he will be at the meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

The forum was also on during the election in 2007 and the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, went in place of the Prime Minister, John Howard.


Story by
: Vijay Narayan