Communique semantics
New Caledonia's delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting was not impressed when Australian officials tried to water down a resolution at the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting, seeking to "note" rather than "welcome" the report of the Forum ministerial mission sent to observe the 2021 New Caledonia referendum. The mission included veterans like Fiji's Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Samoa's Feturi Elisaia, and the Forum Secretary General, who raised questions about the credibility of the referendum. Was Canberra trying to send signals to Paris, following Prime Minister Albanese's recent . . .
