Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Lenora Qereqeretabua said it is important for the Fiji government to be represented at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 Samoa.
Speaking to The Fiji Times, Ms Qereqeretabua said it was a great time for Fiji’s inclusion as it was important to be heard as a country.
“It is important for us to be here and to be one of the many voices in the Pacific in particular when Fiji wanted to be a leader within the region,” Ms Qereqeretabua said.
“With the Ocean of Peace, it is important that the government of Fiji is represented at the CHOGM with nearly 60 other members of the Commonwealth here.
“When the Minister’s Forum begins this Thursday, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will be here, but in the meantime it is great to be heard as a country.”
The Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is expected to arrive today and will be meeting with the Fijian diaspora in Samoa.
According to the Fijian community in Samoa, Mr Rabuka will be meeting with them at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Meanwhile, women’s issues would be high on the agenda.
While speaking at the event on Monday, Commonwealth secretary general Patricia Scotland said dialogue on violence against women should continue to be held in high regard.
“A day like this reminds us that women are at the core of progress of the Commonwealth. Yet, despite these successes, women continue to face significant hurdles,” she said.
“In far too many places, violence against women persists.
“Income inequality, structural discrimination and the exclusion of women from leadership opportunities still plague our world.”
