Forum hails signing of PACER-plus agreement

Business

THE signing of the PACER-Plus agreement in Tonga on Wednesday was a milestone for the Pacific region, according to Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general Dame Meg Taylor.
Australia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu signed PACER-Plus. Notable absentees were Fiji, PNG and Vanuatu.
Dame Meg said it would take forward a joint commitment by Forum members for a framework that supports regional economic integration.
At their meeting in 2016, Forum leaders reiterated the need for PACER-Plus to promote regional integration in the Pacific, and to assist the Forum Island countries to achieve robust economic growth and sustainable development.
“The implementation of the PACER-Plus must ensure that the development needs of the Forum Island countries are addressed through sustainable trade and economic development,” she said.
Australia and New Zealand would provide resources for the implementation of the agreement.