Peters heads to Fiji as Pacific leaders prepare for crucial Forum talks

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters heads to Fiji on Thursday for talks with regional counterparts as preparations intensify for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau later this month.

The foreign ministers meeting in Suva will help shape the agenda for the annual leaders' summit where issues including regional security, climate change, economic resilience and growing geopolitical competition are expected to dominate discussions.

"We have seen recently the impacts of global events on our region. It is timely to discuss those events and chart a common course for the Pacific," Peters said.

The meeting comes as senior officials from across the region review progress on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and prepare recommendations for leaders ahead of the summit.

In his address at the recent Pacific Peace and Security Dialogue, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa said the region's challenges increasingly required countries to work together.

"The pressures we face have not only intensified, but have become increasingly interconnected, requiring responses that are regional, integrated and collaborative."

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Baron Divavesi Waqa says the region's growing challenges require stronger cooperation and a united Pacific response. Photo/Pacific Islands Forum

Waqa said Forum members remained focused on delivering the priorities agreed by Pacific leaders.

"Our collective focus remains on delivering the regional outcomes that our people expect, grounded in the 2050 Strategy and shaped by Pacific priorities."

The Forum Secretariat has also adopted a new five-year Strategic Plan that will guide its work from 2025 to 2030.

The plan sets six priorities for the region: strengthening political solidarity, peace and security, sustainable economic growth, trade and investment, protecting the Pacific Ocean and improving the Forum Secretariat delivery.

intended to support the long-term vision of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent as Pacific nations face climate change, economic pressures, natural disasters and increasing strategic competition.

As host of this year's leaders' summit, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said the gathering would be one of the country's biggest international events.

"This will be the most important regional event to be held in Palau in 2026, and its successful execution will impact our reputation and future opportunities for years to come," he said during the establishment of the national organising committee for the 55th PIF leaders meetin in Koror.

The annual Forum meeting comes as Pacific nations continue balancing relationships with traditional partners and emerging powers while seeking to maintain the region's collective priorities.

Professor Steven Ratuva, Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at Canterbury University, said Pacific governments had become increasingly skilled at navigating major power competition.

Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr says hosting the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting will be one of the country's most important events of 2026 and will help shape its future on the regional stage. Photo/Supplied

"So the Pacific Island states, after years and years of being sandwiched between the big powers, they have come to learn the art of engaging with both sides, just to make sure they get the benefits from both sides."

Officials are also reviewing recommendations from recent regional ministerial meetings including the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting and the Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meeting so they can be considered by leaders in Palau.

Peters said New Zealand was looking beyond this year's meeting as it prepares to host the Forum in 2027.

"As New Zealand prepares to host next year's Pacific Islands Forum, we look forward to working with Members to advance the priorities of the Blue Pacific and reinforce the value of strong regional cooperation."

While in Fiji, Peters is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with Pacific leaders before returning to New Zealand on Friday.

The Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (PIFMM) is on 7 August 2026 in Suva. For more details, visit forumsec.org