Articles Search

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 20) – Solomon Islands has reported changed its position on an international whaling moratorium and is now backing Japan’s position for an end to the 20-year moratorium.

Earlier this month, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza, said his government would abstain from voting at the International Whaling Commission’s meeting in South Korea.

Kemakeza gave the assurance after talks with the Australian environment minister in Honiara; but the New Zealand conservation minister, who is in South Korea, now says Solomon Islands will join Tuvalu and Kiribati in supporting the Japanese position.

Meanwhile in Honiara, Kemakeza has restated that Solomon Islands will support Japan in various international forums to reciprocate for Tokyo’s financial assistance.

He made the statement at the launch of a restoration project at Honiara’s international airport, to which Japan will contribute more than...

PAPEÉTE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, June 20) - French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru suggested during visits to Australia and New Zealand last week that both countries participate in Tahiti’s development in the areas of education, job training and technology, according to a press communiqué.

During meetings with Australian Prime Minister John Howard and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Temaru noted "the enormous" trade deficit that French Polynesia has with each country, according to a press communiqué from Temaru’s office in Papeéte.

Temaru’s suggested roles for both countries would be a way of compensating for those deficits, according to the communiqué.

Aside from Temaru’s direct contact with the local media at the Tahiti-Faa’a International Airport on the night of his return from visits to Australia and New Zealand last week, Tahiti’s president appears to have resorted to issuing press communiqué’s instead of holding press conferences.

The latest...

By Tony Ligo

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (The Independent, May 30) - Up to 15,000 hectares (3,706 acres) of land on south Malekula – the second largest island in Vanuatu - may be leased by a joint business venture between foreign and local enterprises, according to environmental and investment authorities in Port Vila.

Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority, the Department of Lands and the Environment Unit have signed a certificate of negotiation that gives the company the right to negotiate with landowners in south Malekula.

Malampa provincial government was still reluctant to give approval before The Independent went to print.

A major part of the project was reportedly to develop cattle in the area, but there are rumours the venture also looked at the possibility of other business in the area, including leasing land to interested investors for real estate and resorts.

Concern was raised by south Malekula leaders in the capital over the proposed plans....

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, June 12) – Talk of possible instability in Fiji is not only discouraging but downright harmful, says United States Ambassador David Lyon.

Lyon said there wasn't an investor in the world that wouldn't take Fiji's political climate into account when thinking about an investment or even a substantive business relationship.

He was speaking at an Economic Association of Fiji meeting this week on the Joint Commerce Commission set up by the U.S. to help island economies.

"Political risk is always a factor in developing countries, but it can be a determining factor when a country that has three coups in 18 years is also experiencing heated and angry political rhetoric," he said. "I feel strongly enough about this to have cast aside some of the diplomat's accustomed discretion to call this coup-mongering a threat to Fiji, a danger to democracy and downright despicable."

Lyons said he had no problem telling potential American investors that...