Prime Minister Brown eager to hand over Forum chairmanship to Tonga

Prime Minister Mark Brown is looking forward to handing over the chairmanship of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders to the Prime Minister of Tonga so he can focus on domestic affairs.

Brown told the Cook Islands News the chairmanship would be handed over to the new chair, Prime Minister Hukavameliku Shosi-Sovaleni, at the start of the Tonga leaders’ meeting.

The conference will be held from August 26 to 30 under the theme “Transformative Pacific Islands: Building Back Better Now”.

“As chair, I am relieved by the fact that I not only have to carry out the duties of prime minister, but I also have to represent the region throughout the year,” said Chancellor Brown.

“As you all know, I have spent a lot of time on the road this year, so I am looking forward to the handover ceremony in Tonga at the end of this month.”

Prime Minister Brown said he would be accompanied to Tonga for the meeting by Foreign Minister Tinka Elikana and a team from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.

“I’m not sure who the rest of our delegation will be, but the group we lead won’t be too large.

“I know that the number of people travelling to Tonga for the Leaders’ Forum this year will be very large and there will be some difficulty in accommodating the number of people.

“We look forward to ensuring that we are adequately represented, particularly as the chairmanship transitions, and continuing to play our role in the region.”

Brown will remain a member of the “Troika,” a group of three leaders: the former president, the current president and the new president.

“I will serve on the Troika for another year until the chairmanship is handed over from Tonga to the Solomon Islands.”

Brown added that the Pacific Islands Forum will focus on several issues, including the Pacific Resilience Fund, particularly its location. Discussions will also center on the issue of New Caledonia and how the forum can de-escalate violence and address concerns raised by its member states.

Meanwhile, Brown will lead a high-level Pacific delegation to New Caledonia, along with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiweni Rabuka and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Menele, for a Pacific Islands Forum Leaders (PIF) meeting in Tonga.