Significance of The Second Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit Meeting (PALM 2000)

(Saturday, April 22, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture)

On Saturday, April 22, the Second Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit Meeting (PALM 2000) will be held in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture, with the participation of the leaders of South Pacific Forum (SPF) member countries and regions. From Japan, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori will attend as the chairman. The significance of the summit is as follows:

(1) The meeting will be held to further promote a future-oriented partnership between Japan and the Pacific Island Countries and to strengthen personal friendships at the grass-roots level, by exchanging frank views at the summit level on various issues facing the Pacific Island Countries in this milestone year of 2000.

(2) With the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit coming up in July this year, directly hearing the opinions of Pacific Island Countries will be beneficial for Japan, as the chair, in leading the G8 Summit to success.

Agenda

(1) Sustainable development of Pacific Island Countries
The leaders will discuss the Pacific Island Countries' efforts toward economic independence and cooperation between Japan and the SPF in the context of globalization.

(2) Common issues at the regional and global levels
The leaders will discuss what sort of cooperation is needed at the regional level between Japan and the SPF, as well as in the international arena, in order to deal in a global context with the environmental and other common issues that face the countries of the Pacific.

(3) Enhancement of the partnership between Japan and the SPF
To realize effective cooperation in the development of Pacific Island Countries and in the international arena, the leaders will discuss the means for strengthening the partnership between Japan and SPF members at various levels.

Reference: SPF members

Australia, the Cook Islands, the Republic of the Fiji Islands, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, the Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Independent State of Samoa, the Solomon Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Vanuatu

Note: PALM stands for the Pacific Islands Leaders' Meeting.