Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill last night pledged his support for Fiji’s ocean and climate change battle.

He flew into Nausori International Airport late yesterday to participate in the regional preparatory meeting for the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York in June. Fiji is co-hosting the conference with Sweden.

Mr O’Neill took a break from his election campaign at home to be in Suva to support the Fijian leadership for the ocean conference and climate change. Fiji is presiding over COP23 in November in Bonn, Germany.

“We are proud to come here and support Fiji in their leadership of the Oceans Conference. We are part of the Pacific and our way of life is tied to the ocean itself and the protection of it is of paramount importance to our people and the country.

“We are gearing up to go to elections and our country places great importance to the conference and we are here to participate in this preparatory meeting and to give our strongest possible support to Fiji in their leadership in this conference and the outcomes which we will take to the United Nations together.

“Of course, the Pacific has shown strong leadership in terms of climate change issues as well and Fiji’s leadership of COP23 is something we appreciate and support and we continue to embark on many of the outcomes the international community expects on the agreements we have signed in Paris in terms of climate change.”

The outspoken leader also put United States of America’s new administration on notice that the Pacific was keenly watching whether they would see through on their commitments made in Paris which led to the signing of the Paris Agreement.

“We are looking forward to working with other Pacific Island nations in so far as achieving the outcomes, given the global challenges we are facing, particularly in terms of United States position on climate change. We just have to wait and see if the new administration will firm up its own position on the agreements in Paris. Again, we are here to support Fiji on that.”

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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