SECURITY experts from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are attending a meeting in Lae to finalise a concept paper on a sub-regional force as well as a framework for sharing information.
Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Paul Tiensten last week announced that senior officials from the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) of countries would attend the security workshop starting tomorrow until Thursday.
“The need for the MSG sub-regional force stems from a decision of the MSG leaders, where they tasked PNG to prepare a concept paper for consideration by member countries at the next MSG leaders’ summit to be hosted by Vanuatu next month,” Mr Tiensten said.
“With respect to the framework for sharing of information concept, the idea emerged from the foreign ministers meeting on March 15-16 last year in Port Vila, Vanuatu, where the ministers discussed the involvement of Fijian nationals in Bougainville.”
Mr Tiensten said that following the Vanuatu meeting, a sub-committee on security chaired by PNG, was established to among others things, look at ways to utilise the advanced passenger information system, establish ways to harmonise computer systems in immigration, and find ways of sharing information between relevant agencies in member countries.
The sub-committee has since met three times since May 2006 in Port Moresby.

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