Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka hosted a friendly round of golf in Suva on Saturday with leaders and senior officials of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), ahead of Fiji’s formal assumption of the MSG chairmanship.
Describing the game as a friendly get together, Rabuka said the event offered an informal setting for dialogue before official meeting commences today.
“This game is just get together as friends. We may even talk about the agenda which has been worked on by the senior officials and it’s always a very friendly atmosphere, friendly meeting, friendly retreat and we hope that we can
spread that first of all to the Pacific, to the Ocean of Peace, adoption of that concept in the PIF conference in Honiara and later on take it into the world stage with the UNGA coming up in September,” Rabuka stated.
“It’s a friendly one but very important one.”
Joining the Prime Minister at the Fiji Golf Club in Vatuwaqa was the Prime Minister of Vanuatu Jotham Napat, Fiji’s Minister for Immigration Viliame Naupoto as well as Fiji’s High Commissioners to New Zealand Ratu Inoke
Kubuabola and Fiji’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and the MSG, Jackson Evans.
Also present at the course was the Indonesian Ambassador to Fiji Dupito Simamora.
Fiji is set to take over the chairmanship of the MSG in a traditional handover ceremony today with PM Rabuka receiving the leadership mantle at the Bose Levu Vakaturaga Grounds.
Comprising Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and FLNKS (the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia), the Melanesian Spearhead Group plays a critical role in advancing political, economic and cultural cooperation in the region.
