Oceania

On February 23 and 24, the U.S.－hosted “The Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security, and Shared Prosperity Summit” was held at the East-West Center in Honolulu. Mr. OKUYAMA Jiro, Ambassador for Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, attended the Summit and delivered a speech.

In his speech, Ambassador Okuyama stated that Japan and the Pacific Island Countries are friends connected with the Pacific Ocean, “Tomodachi”, and our strong friendship is rooted in deep historical relationship founded on people-to-people exchanges, which have been growing stronger since the latter half of the 19th century, as well as in longstanding bonds of trust, “Kizuna”. He also noted that at the 10th Pacific Islands Summit (PALM 10), held in Tokyo in 2024, Japan and Pacific Island Countries confirmed a relationship of “stride forward together” toward the future while tackling common challenges.

Furthermore, he stated that PALM11 is scheduled to be held in 2027, marking the 30th anniversary of PALM's inception, and that Japan intends to build on the achievements accumulated through the PALM process thus far and strengthen its relationship with Pacific Island Countries through concrete efforts. He also highlighted Japan's cooperation through private companies and public-private partnerships, citing specific examples such as the laying of submarine cables, waste management that contributes to environmental conservation and the strengthening of the circular economy in line with the concept of “high-quality infrastructure”.

Ambassador Okuyama also stated that private-sector-led growth is essential for sustainable economic development and ensuring regional security, and that Japan intends to continue “striding forward together” with Pacific Island Countries to further strengthen our “Kizuna” bonds, including through effective collaboration with our partner countries.