MSG MEETING IN HONIARA

“We will develop stronger partnership with our immediate neighbours in our Region including the Members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and the members of the Pacific Islands Forum,” Prime Minister Philip said. (Pic: Andrew Fanasia)

By Andrew Fanasia Jr.

Sources within the Solomon Islands Government has offered that the Solomon Islands Government has offered to host this year’s Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting scheduled to be held in Fiji on 22-23 July when the current Chairman Vanuatu Prime Minister Edward Natapei cancelled the scheduled meeting at the last minute.

Explaining his decision at that time Prime Minister Natapei said that to allow Fiji’s military leader Frank Bainimarama to become chair of the MSG would threaten the MSG’s democratic values.

He claimed at that time that Solomon Islands and PNG had supported the position he had taken but had subsequently failed to back him publicly.

The Prime Minister’s Office in Vanuatu is reported to have confirmed that MSG members have now agreed to meet on the 22nd of October in Honiara.

Confirming the Government’s offer to host the MSG meeting Government sources in Honiara informed the National Express yesterday that the Government’s offer to host the meeting is motivated by a need to help MSG find a way out of the situation.

The Government sources in Honiara have however declined to say whether or not by hosting the MSG meeting, Solomon Islands would assume the chairmanship of the MSG rather than supporting Fiji assuming the chairmanship after the Honiara meeting.

The problems encountered by the MSG relates to the decision which the Pacific Forum has taken to suspend Fiji from the Forum as well as regional trade initiatives such as PACER and PACER Plus negotiations.

Before the MSG meeting scheduled to be hosted and Chaired by Fiji on the 22-23 July this year; two academics well versed with regional issues; Professor Walsh and Australian-based Prof. Brij Lal, said that the Fiji Interim Prime Minister had attempted to invite other Pacific Forum countries to attend the MSG meeting.

Prof. Brij Lal described the invitation as an attempt Interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to hijack the MSG in response to its suspension from the Pacific Forum adding that Bainimarama could well have a point, though hijack is too strong a word. Suspended from the Forum, excluded from PACER and PACER Plus negotiations almost certainly due to Australian and NZ persuasion, Fiji has merely struck back.

The two academics believe that the Forum Melanesian nations were never totally happy with Australia and New Zealand’s hard line on Fiji and on more than one occasion have sought a more conciliatory approach.

They also claimed that Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tonga have also expressed doubts; and the north-western Micronesian states (Nauru, Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia) have said nothing. Only Samoa (for its own reasons) and Cook Islands and Niue (with close tries to NZ) have shown unquestioning support for the Australian and NZ position.

However, speaking on the step of Parliament House after he was elected Prime Minister in August, Prime Minister Danny Philip said that his Government would embrace the Fiji situation.

During the official last week the Prime Minister said that his Government’s Foreign policy would be guided by constructive engagement based on investment, trade, economic and security considerations.

“We will develop stronger partnership with our immediate neighbours in our Region including the Members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and the members of the Pacific Islands Forum,” Prime Minister Philip said.