PNG offers to provide for PACP secretariat

PAPUA New Guinea has offered to provide a secretariat for the Pacific-African Caribbean Pacific group following a successful meeting in Port Moresby on Wednesday.
PNG would provide funding for the PACP secretariat to be based in Port Moresby and it would operate separately from the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill had agreed to host the PACP meeting to allow Fiji’s participation.
Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum after the Dec 2006 military coup led by interim prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama.
The PACP meeting decided that the group would operate separately from the Pacific Islands Forum to ensure Fiji’s inclusion.
Australia and New Zealand are not part of the Pacific ACP group.
Bainimarama told journalists that it was an historic moment for Fiji when the 14 leaders at the meeting gave their full support for Fiji’s re-entry.
He said Fiji had the support of the Pacific leaders and was happy about it.