Page 5 - IB February 2024

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Publisher
Netani Rika
Two months into 2024, and the diplomatic temperature in the Pacific region is on the
General Manager rise.
Samantha Magick
Nauru set things off by switching diplomatic recognition to China.
Editor
Richard Naidu In a historic development, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, James Marape addressed
both houses of the Australian Federal Parliament in mid-February, the first Pacific
Reporters Island leader to do so.
Kite Pareti
Prerna Priyanka At about the same time, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters set off on a
whistle-stop tour of Polynesia, following on from his visit to Fiji and the Pacific Islands
Forum Secretariat in December.
Naturally, these developments were being scrutinised through geopolitical lens, with
Designer questions being asked about New Zealand’s new pro-AUKUS agenda, while on the
Dick Lee other hand, Marape’s effusive tone of gratitude to Australia underlined his Foreign
Minister, Justin Tkatchenko’s dismissal of any possibility of a security agreement with
China.
Contributors
Clifford Faiparik And then there was the Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa’s visit to the Pacific
Jon Fraenkel Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji in preparation for the Pacific Islands-Japan leaders’
Alipate Pareti summit later this year. In Suva, she addressed the Fukushima nuclear wastewater
Lopeti Senituli discharge issue.
We look at the implications of these events in this issue, alongside other key
developments such as Starlink’s entry into the region, as well as what health
authorities have to say about new COVID variants.
Our cover story, of course, looks in detail at the upheaval in Port Moresby in January
Islands Business is published monthly by
Front Page Pte Limited and its ongoing impacts on PNG.
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GPO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands Finally, it’s a pleasure to highlight emerging sporting talents from around the region.
Tel: +679 9719660 We will endeavour to do more of that this year.
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Islands Business, February 2024 5