President says it will not be attending forum because of failure to address concerns of Micronesian countries
The key diplomatic body in the Pacific has been dealt a devastating blow on the eve of its first in-person meeting since the pandemic, asThe Pacific has become a site of intense geostrategic competition, as a result of increased interest from China, and Kiribati’s withdrawal will weaken the forum at a time when Pacific regionalism in the face of fierce geopolitical attention has never been more important.
between key Pacific leaders, including some from Micronesia, were thought to have resolved the impasse. However, in the letter dated 9 July, Maamau said Kiribati’s concerns had not been adequately addressed and that his country would neither be signing the Suva agreement nor attending the forum, which is due to start on Monday in Suva.
“It’s very clear that geostrategic competition is the backdrop to this PIF in ways it never has been before. It’s the first time since the cold war that the Pacific is really in the crosshairs of major powers,” said Dr Wesley Morgan, a senior researcher at the Climate Council, who is in Suva for the forum.