Live from PIF: Leaders retreat to Vava'u

PMN journalists ‘Alakihihifo Vailala and Joseph Safiti are in Tonga covering all the news from the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.

We will be providing all the latest updates here.

Thursday, 29 August, 11am:

Christopher Luxon is on Vava'u Island for his first leaders' retreat, something he says he has been looking forward to.

"There'll be some content conversations around New Caledonia. I suspect there'll be some conversations around the architecture for PIFF (and how it continues to strengthen and evolve.

Photo/Joseph Safiti

"And also a big part of it is about just continuing to build that rapport and those relationships. 

"As I said, I formally hosted everything about Whanau Atu in Wellington. So we have good relationships in place and just continuing to deepen those."

Vava'u, north of the country, is a 90-minute flight from Tongatapu Fua'amotu International Airport in the capital Nuku'alofa.

Photo/Joseph Safiti

Luxon will be staying overnight before returning to the main island of Tongatapu on Friday before heading home.

The prime minister, who arrived in Nuku'alofa on Tuesday, has met with the leaders of Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, and US Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell.

A decision on the membership of US territories, Guam and American Samoa, is expected to be announced on Friday, among other things.

Tonga’s PM Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni with New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon. Photo/Joseph Safiti

Wednesday, 28 August, 12pm:

Luxon arrives in Tonga and renews partnership with the Kingdom

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has arrived in Tonga - his first time in the Kingdom. And he's kicked off the trip with formal talks with his Tongan counterpart, Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni.

Along with the meeting, Luxon and Sovaleni reaffirmed the two countries' close and long-standing relationships by refreshing their Statement of Partnership.

Luxon says, “The statement reaffirms the shared values at the heart of our partnership, including support for democracy, human rights, gender equality, effective governance, rule of law, environmental stewardship, and strong regional and international cooperation.”

A group photo of the leaders of PIF in Tonga. Photo/Joseph Safiti

The PIF Leaders Meeting also saw the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, address those gathered.

This year’s theme is Transformative, Resilient, Pasifiki: Build Better Now with Sovaleni chairing the forum.

This is Luxon’s second time in the Pacific since becoming PM, with his first trip to the region being in June to Niue and Fiji.

Talking on 531pi’s Pacific Mornings, he highlighted some of the big issues to be discussed at this week’s leaders' meeting.

“I've met with most of the Pacific Island leaders now and my colleagues, and, you know, I'm really excited about what we can do together and the way that we partner together.

“And I've visited many of the countries already, I've hosted many of the leaders here in New Zealand.”

Christopher Luxon also meet former Pacific Peoples' minister Aupito William Sio. Photo/ Joseph Safiti

Deputy Prime Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters arrived in Tonga on Saturday to attend the first half of the leaders' meeting and left the Kingdom on Tuesday night.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also arrived in Tonga last night.

Luxon will be attending the leaders retreat in Vava’u on Thursday where no officials will be present and will be returning home on Friday night.

Tuesday, 27 August, 11.30am:

Antonio Guterres is continuing his push for more climate action as he addressed the media.

The United Nations Secretary-General is in Nuku'alofa for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.

Guterres stressed that the fate of the Pacific depended on limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Antonio Guterres arrives at the opening ceremony on Monday. Photo/Joseph Safiti

His comments come amid rising geopolitical tensions and competition for influence in the region, including the ongoing civil unrest in the French territory of New Caledonia.

But the threats posed by climate change and sea level rise have been a central part of the leaders' summit.

From left, UN chief Antonio Guterres, Tonga PM and forum chair Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni, and Forum secretary-general Baron Waqa.

Guterres and the Pacific leadership will be looking for more financial support for the region's climate and disaster initiatives.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, arrive in Tonga today.

The leaders' meeting ends on Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, receives a gift from New Caledonia's President Louis Mapou. Photo/Joseph Safiti

Monday 26 August, 5pm:

Deputy Prime Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters has met with New Caledonia President Louis Mapou for talks on the sidelines of the forum leaders summit.

A local group performs at the opening ceremony. Photo/Joseph Safiti

Their discussions included:

• Prevailing situation in New Caledonia including the need for calm dialogue and reconstruction.

• The role of PIF includes the mission to Noumēa at an appropriate time.

• Both men's mutual desire for Peters to travel to New Caledonia before the end of this year.

A series of earthquakes hit north of Tonga

Monday 26 August, noon:

Outgoing Pacific Islands Forum chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown at the opening ceremony. Photo/Joseph Safiti

A strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck 153.9 km north of Tonga's main island Tongatapu but there are no reports of tsunami risk or damage. A further two earthquakes followed, of 6.1 and 5.3 magnitude respectively.

PMN News political reporter Ala Vailala, who was in a press conference at the time said the quake lasted for up to two minutes. "It was long."

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has been recorded, 153.9km north of Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa. Photo/ USGS

Monday 26 August, 10am:

It's not the ideal weather that organisers would have hoped for the official opening ceremony of the leaders' forum as it got underway on Monday.

We woke to heavy rain. There was flooding reported in some areas in the capital Nuku'alofa. But as one organiser said, hail, rain, or storm, the PILFM will go ahead and it started on time.

Photo/Joseph Safiti

We were greeted with a lovely cool breeze and a bit of sunshine on Sunday but we can't say the same for this morning.

Thank goodness, we're indoors for the formalities. More than 1000 people have gathered in the newly opened Tonga High School Stadium for the opening of the 53rd Pacific Islands Leaders Forum Meeting.

All leaders, except New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, are here.

From the right, Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tuku’aho, Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala Tuku’aho, his sister Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Tuku’aho, Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa, and Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine at the opening ceremony. Photo/Joseph Safiti

They are both expected to arrive later in the week.

Following the opening ceremony, the leaders are expected to be in meetings throughout the day and will attend a private dinner tonight.

Sunday 23 August: Nuku'alofa

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, Minister for Pacific Peoples, Shane Reti, behind him, and members of the NZ delegation are welcomed to Tonga by Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu - Minister of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, and Climate Change. Looking on is Tongan Health Minister Dr Siale 'Akau'ola, right. Photo/Ala Vailala

Several Pacific delegations including New Zealand have arrived in the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa.

Led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, the group was welcomed at Fua'amotu International Airport by Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu - Tonga's Minister of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, and Climate Change.

The New Zealand delegation left Whenuapai Air Base on Saturday with other Pacific leaders and their representatives - Cook Islands' Prime Minister, Mark Brown, French Polynesia's President Moetai Charles Brotherson, Niue's Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, Crossley Tatui, Sāmoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Tokelau's Ulu Faipule Petelo Alapati Tavite, Vanuatu President Charlot Salwai, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

A choral service, Pō Hiva, is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Tonga's Free Wesleyan Church (FWC).

On Monday, Peters is set to hold a private meeting with Ulu, Tokelau,
Faipule Petelo Alapati Tavite at the Tanoa International Dateline Hotel.

Following his bilateral with Ulu, Peters and his delegation will head to the Tonga High School Indoor Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.

Saturday, 2pm, 24 August: Whenuapai Air Base, Auckland.

Guterres expressed a clear message of support for the Pacific ahead of the trip, highlighting that the rest of the world “targets” and exploits the region unfairly.

Antonio Guterres also outlined his plans for his first Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, where he will meet with leaders from across the Pacific.

Before his departure, he expressed strong concerns for the Pacific, particularly climate change.

“I want to express very clearly, together with the Pacific countries, that those that are creating climate change and 80% of the emissions [are] coming from developed countries.

“And 85% of emissions come from fossil fuels, and that they need to change, and they need to take seriously climate action, phasing out fossil fuels and adopting all the measures necessary to reduce drastically the emissions in the present decade.

On the other hand, Pacific island states are also vulnerable from an economic and financial point of view.

Sāmoa's Prime Minister Afioga Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa arrives in Nuku'alofa. Photo/Ala Vailala

“They are very small, very far away from each other, and far away from big markets.”

Guterres visited the Pacific in 2019, which included spending a day in Tuvalu.

He said the Pacific are targets of the current world.

“The world is a world that today is built in a way that, I would say, targets the Pacific islands. Victims of climate, victims of unfair international financial architecture, and victims of the enormous difficulties that their geographic situation creates for their development.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres addresses the media before leaving Whenuapai Air Base. Photo/supplied

“And so, we must mobilize the international community for a very strong expression of solidarity with the small island developing states in general and with the Pacific Islands.”

Saturday, 6am, August 24: PIF Leaders Meeting preview

At a time of unprecedented economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges that have placed enormous strain on the region, all eyes are on the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Nuku'alofa next week.

Following the adverse regional reception of the United States-led Partners in the Blue Pacific initiative, which seeks to align better Pacific aid and development efforts of Aotearoa, Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom, Washington will be expected to deliver fast and in ways that forum member states want and need amid its competition with China.

Pacific Islands Forum leaders at their meeting in 2023 in the Cook Islands. Photo/PIF

Within the fraught politics of the PIF Leaders Meeting that United Nations Secretary-general Antonio Guterres is attending and a possible appearance by South Africa-born US-based businessman and investor Elon Musk, several observers or guests from France and China will also be in Nuku'alofa.

Key issues such as record-high cost of living, healthcare, technology and internet connections, climate change impacts, and funding for development - economically and socially, are expected to be discussed, including forum membership applications by US territories, Guam and American Sāmoa, dwindling banking services, and what human rights advocates hope is also on the leaders' agenda, West Papua.

There is also deepsea mining, regional security infrastructure, and Pacific policing initiatives. But the unrest in New Caledonia is no doubt a key issue, given the Troika-led fact-finding mission to Noumēa was 'deferred' this week due to differences between President Emmanuel Macron and the local government in the French territory.

Watch Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters' interview at the leaders' summit.

Whether a decision will be made on any of these issues remains to be seen.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, leads a New Zealand delegation on Saturday on an NZ Defence Force flight, accompanied by Minister for Pacific Peoples, Shane Reti, several Pacific leaders, and Guterres. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will arrive on Tuesday.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is expected to hand over the forum chair to his Tongan counterpart Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni.

The venue for the forum leaders meeting. Photo/PM Tonga Press

The Tonga PM says the Friendly Islanders are going to show the visitors what their culture is all about, their food, and what the kingdom is all about. So much so, that residents are opening up their homes - with government assistance - to billet some of the visitors, Sovaleni says.

Founded in 1971, forum member states include Aotearoa New Zealand, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia Tahiti, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Sāmoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Australia.

The accommodation for participants of the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Meeting. Photo/PM Tonga Press

PMN News Political Reporter 'Alakihihifo Vailala and Video Journalist Joseph Safiti will bring you coverage of the leaders meeting from 26-30 August.

The theme is 'Transformative, Resilient, Pasifiki: Build Better Now'.