MSG to process West Papua’s inclusion bid

The National National

THE Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat will process an application by West Papua for full membership under the newly approved guidelines.
The MSG Leaders’ Summit in Port Moresby yesterday also urged more dialogue between West Papua and Indonesia, which were both represented yesterday.
The leaders ended their summit at The Stanley Hotel and Suites by passing resolutions on key issues.
They agreed to support Vanuatu’s candidacy for the Forum Fisheries Agency director-general position.
The leaders also expressed their sympathy to Tonga and Fiji for the destruction caused by Cyclone Gita this week.
MSG chairman Peter O’Neill called for the support of member nations during PNG’s two-year tenure in the chair. The leaders will visit APEC Haus and Parliament today before leaving tomorrow.
Other resolution include:

  • Supporting the secretariat more and putting aside past differences;
  • endorsing an engagement with New Caledonia under the Melanesia free trade agreement to be ratified in the immediate future;
  • adopting the secretariat director-general’s report while noting the need to undertake regular dialogue with member nations; and,
  • Tasking the secretariat director-general to be more active in global engagement on sub-regional issues.