The Minister for Defence Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has applauded the work of Fiji’s Amena Yauvoli as the director gen­eral of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) within a period of one year.

Presenting his ministerial state­ment in Parliament yesterday in-regards to the MSG 21st Leaders’ summit held in Papua New Guinea from February 10-15, 2018, Ratu In­oke said Mr Yauvoli had within a year had turned around the organi­sation with the implementation of strict financial management, or­ganisational reforms, and reviews.

“The financial turnaround that he has managed to achieve with the secretariat within a short pe­riod of time is truly commendable and needs to be acknowledged and should augur well for the secretari­at in its future undertakings.

“In view of this, the leaders also went ahead and endorsed the work programme and MSG Budget in the next two years.”

Ratu Inoke said the leaders had also directed Mr Yauvoli to engage in a more active manner at the re­gional and global levels in order to advocate and advance MSG sub-regional issues, interests and pri­orities.

Meanwhile, Ratu Inoke said he was appointed to deputise for the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Voreqe Bainima­rama.

He said the meeting focused on encompassing the traditional hand­ing over ceremony of the MSG.

The chairmanship from the Solo­mon Islands Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela will be handed to the PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill who will be in the position for the next two years.

Matters discussed at the MSG:

• Leaders acknowledged the leadership by Solomon Islands and the former Prime Minister Ma­nasseh Sogavare whose dedicated leadership together with the cur­rent director general took the MSG out of the difficult situation it was in 2016 to where it is now.
• Leaders are confident that PNG will provide that as the secretariat attempts to serve the needs of mem­bers in a more efficient and effec­tive manner in the next two years.
•  The leaders approved the re­vised criteria for observers, associ­ate members and new membership guidelines and agreed on the deci­sion that the application for full membership by the United Libera­tion Movement for West Papua (UL­MWP) be referred back to the secre­tariat for consideration against the revised guidelines for observers, associate membership and the new membership guidelines.
• Leaders endorsed a report of the MSG Ministerial Mission to New Caledonia and the Action Plan for the FLNKS 2018 Self Determina­tion process.
• Leaders took note of the re­port on the work of the secretariat through the reforms and financial report and acknowledged the work that was done.

“It was an opportune occasion for us to advance certain issues with the Prime Minister of PNG and an opportunity for us to convey reas­surance of Fiji’s support to PNG in the upcoming Asia Pacific Eco­nomic Cooperation (APEC) that will be held in Port Moresby this November.

He added that Mr O’Neill con­firmed that leaders from the Pa­cific would be invited to attend the APEC and he had made known of his wish to visit Fiji this year to address Parliament if possible on PNG’s preparations for the APEC summit.

“We also discussed the land swap arrangements for the Fiji and PNG diplomatic chanceries. There is the intention to finalise arrangements as soon as possible,” Ratu Inoke said.

Edited by Percy Kean