i was privileged to attend with my Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase the 36th Pacific Islands Leaders forum in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from October 24-29, 2005...the island member countries for those who might not know are Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, PNG, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Australia and New Zealand.

A major outcome of the meeting was the endorsement by the leaders of the draft Pacific Plan and its Kalibobo road map. This means the Plan will continue to undergo consultation and changes as it will be implemented say 10 years from now. Other highlights included the KULA Fund II signing by the Commonwealth to Pacific island countries (PICs) of USD 150,000 and the signing of the revised Melanesian Spearhead Agreement (MSG) by PM Qarase, PM of Vanuatu, Mr Lini, PM of PNG Sir Michael Somare and PM of Solomon Islands, Sir Alan Kamekaze. This means the MSG will now have its Secretariat based in Port Vila with new staff and also a lawyer will be tasked with drawing up a Constitution for the MSG group.

PM Qarase expressed disappointment and i suppose other PIC leaders too when Australia and NZ yet again disagreed to give temporary work schemes to PICs, when they easily can give work visas to those from Asia and Europe! Don't know what the difference is here...I suppose they raised the concern of people misusing the opportunity. But there's nothing like having tight, stringent measures or a framework that will ensure people will not misuse it if they are allowed temporary work.

Port Moresby is a big place i tell you and beautiful!! It has alot of potential to develop further. A country so rich in resources - gold mine, forests, marine, so much space for development etc. etc. It was the dry season though there so the place looked brown. But i was told that during the rainy season the place is so green!

I was fortunate to meet some of my kai's (people from my Province), ladies who are married to locals there and just one man who is there with his wife ministering to the raskals there...Raskals are termed to law breakers. Also fortunate to meet the Fijian students studying at the Pacific Adventist University (PAU) there for Education, Business etc...and of course they suddenly felt homesick!!!