Solomon Islands has expressed reservations on an element of the outcome Declaration of the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit. A press statement from the Prime Minister’s Press Secretariat says this is in particular the reference to competing Strategy to the 2050 Strategy of the Blue Pacific Continent adopted by Pacific Leaders in 2022, in Suva, Fiji.
The statement says the 2050 Strategy is the region’s collective voice and blueprint in addressing the region’s challenges. “It is built on the Pacific’s long history of working together. It frames the region’s priorities going into 2050”.
In the Press Statement it says that the Solomon Islands government is urging the region to keep the Pacific Way as a principle of dialogue with all including with partners. The 2050 Strategy of the Blue Continent guides the region’s decision-making process and collective action. “The region must keep building consensus amongst ourselves and with our partners. Unity and solidarity must be maintained, preserved and protected. Solomon Islands has adopted a position of not aligning itself with any competing Strategy that goes away from the spirit of regionalism articulated in the 2050 Strategy”.
The OPMC press statement says the Solomon Islands government regrettably continue to have difficulty with an element of the Korea – Pacific Forum Summit Declaration and does not like to see the 2050 Strategy of the Blue Pacific compromised by examining other strategies even before adopting the country’s own Plan of Action of the 2050 Blue Pacific or review the Pacific regional architecture.
At the summit the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare reiterated the country’s Foreign Policy of engagement ‘Friends to all, enemies to none’. Sogavare said Solomon Islands maintains its position of not supporting any policy or groups that targets a third country. “We must remain focused on eradicating poverty and construct bridges of partners to build a stable, resilient and prosperous Pacific. We must replace confrontation with dialogue, unilateralism with cooperation and military solutions with diplomacy to ensure those on the fringes of the international system in the Pacific are meaningfully integrated into the global system.”
The Press statement says Solomon Islands has not stood in the way of the adoption of the Korea – Pacific Forum Summit Declaration but sadly cannot align with it. “We shall not be forced to take sides and participate in power politics. Solomon Islands as a country must and will always abide by its policy of friends to all and enemy to none. Solomon Islands does not support any alliances that targets a third country which is specifically mentioned under a competing strategy reflected in the Declaration”. Solomon Islands urge the region to be vigilant in protecting the region’s collective interests and not reinterpreting the 2050 Strategy by embracing external frameworks that need more understanding on. We have declared the Pacific is in a state of emergency and must act as one under a common agenda, as one region, one people, one blue Pacific identity and one ocean, collectively supporting each other on a shared agenda spelt out under the 2050 Strategy”.
The Press Statement says Solomon Islands bilateral relations with the Republic of Korea remains warm and cordial and highlighted the meeting Sogavare had with the President of the Republic of Korea. The government reaffirmed Solomon Islands commitment to work with Korea on all issues of mutual interest that are based on the principle of mutual respect, equality and respect for each other’s sovereignty. Prime Minister Sogavare acknowledged Korea’s bilateral assistance to Solomon Islands over the years and looked forward to a continuous fruitful relationship.
A report on the declaration and action plan on the 1st Korea Pacific Leaders Summit by the Pacific Islands Forum says President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea, in supporting the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, expressed Korea’s willingness to cooperate with the Pacific Islands Forum Members for the realization of the Strategy.
The report also highlighted that the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders welcomed Korea’s intentions to strengthen its contribution to the Pacific, and reaffirmed that free and peaceful development and prosperity of the Pacific region is of great importance to the wellbeing of our people. PIFS reported that the Leaders will further strengthen cooperation to expand the nexus between the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy between the Pacific Islands Forum and Korea, as key partners to effectively address global challenges and co-prosper.
To this end PIFS reported that the Leaders committed themselves to promote mutually beneficial and action-oriented cooperative relations between Korea and the Pacific Islands Forum. Forum Leaders conveyed their appreciation on the efforts taken by Korea to strengthen its development assistance to the Blue Pacific region as implemented through its Action Plan (Annexed). The Leaders welcomed the commitment by Korea to work in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum at the officials’ level to further develop and refine cooperation projects and initiatives in alignment with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its Implementation Plan.
Tavuli News hopes to get more clarification from the government delegation when they return to the country.
The report by PIFS can be found here: REPORT: Declaration and Action Plan of the 1st Korea-Pacific Leaders’ Summit, 2023
Source with OPMC Press Secretariat
