Fiji's prime minister says Kiribati will rejoin the Pacific's peak political forum, finally ending a persistent and bitter leadership split and striking a blow for regional unity.
Kiribati President Taneti Maamau had said his country would withdraw from the forum over concerns about its leadershipMr Rabuka says Mr Maamau confirmed in a letter his country would rejoin the forum
Kiribati and four other Micronesian nations moved to quit the Pacific Islands Forum early in 2021 after accusing Polynesian and Melanesian nations of breaking a "gentleman's agreement" to hand their candidate the secretary-general position. While the other Micronesian nations last year struck a complex compromise over leadership – known as the Suva Agreement — the President of Kiribati, Taneti Maamau, declared just before last year's PIF leaders meeting that his
Fiji's newly elected Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, visited Kiribati earlier this month to heal the rift, and this morning he said Mr Maamau had written to him to confirm the Micronesian nation would once again join the fold."As we expected he wrote everything he said, that they were willing to rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum.
The PIF had no immediate comment on Mr Rabuka's declaration, and Kiribati has not yet issued any formal statement on the decision.
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