Kiribati has announced it will push ahead with its withdrawal from the Pacific Islands Forum, delivering a damaging blow to the regional body on the eve of its most important meeting in years.
Last month, Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama struck the Suva Agreement with some key Micronesian leadersMost observers expected the agreement to be endorsed by leaders in Suva this week, allowing Secretary-General Henry Puna to stay in the job while ensuring his replacement would come from Micronesia.Kiribati's withdrawal 'a matter of principle'
In his letter, the President reiterated many of the complaints Micronesia had about the PIF leadership contest and suggested he still wanted Mr Puna to quit the position, saying his country "could not set aside the values and principles that we firmly stand on with regard to the issues at hand".