Pacific leaders likely to agree on regional co-operation plan

John Howard and Helen Clark at the Pacific Forum in Papua New Guinea. Picture / Reuters

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - Pacific Forum talks today are likely to result in leaders agreeing to a regional cooperation plan and commit to ongoing support of a law and order project in the Solomon Islands.

Political leaders/ministers of the 16 member nations; Australia, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu were to fly to the island of Madang this morning for an all day retreat after the forum opened yesterday.

The leaders have a range of issues to discuss but the key focus has been on the Pacific Plan -- a regional plan for growth and stability in the Pacific.

Australia and New Zealand have promoted the plan, formulated at a forum in New Zealand, which includes 22 initiatives for implementation from 2006-08, many on trade liberalisation lines. Prime Minister Helen Clark was optimistic yesterday leaders would agree to it.

"The soundings I'm taking from Pacific leaders is generally it's looking very positive," she told reporters.

"There's been so much work done on it by the Forum secretariat and by individual member governments, so much consultation -- I think it's got up a head of steam but it's going to be an evolving story, will be under continual review we'll keep talking."

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said one key area was to improve governance in the region.

"Clearly issues of governance are uppermost in the minds of the Australian government when it comes to the provision of aid to any country," he said.

"We take the very strong view and we don't apologise for it that if we give aid to a country that we expect it to be wisely spent and we don't want it wasted on poor government and corruption ... that's a strong view that we have no matter what country you're talking about."

Freer access for Pacific peoples to Australia and New Zealand is also an issue. Miss Clark has talked positively, but cautiously, about the idea but Mr Howard has ruled it out for his country.

The Pacific plan has faced criticism with civil organisations calling for it to be rejected and a freeze put on trade negotiations. The groups said the island economies could be hard hit by free trade and a loss of tariff and other related revenue.

However the Smaller Island States Leader's Summit on Monday endorsed the plan and talks with leaders indicate they will also.

"It's looking reasonably positive," Miss Clark said.

The plan is being discussed in an atmosphere of some concern over the influence the western countries have on small nations and Australia is particularly resented.

Today the leaders will decide on the plan but will also talk about trade deals, further commitment to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, preparations for avian flu and controlling Aids. Miss Clark is expected to announce an increase in Pacific Aids prevention funding on Thursday.

Also likely to be discussed is the issue of independence of West Papua from Indonesia.

"The key message has to be that the two sides have to settle their issues peacefully," Miss Clark said.

A protest will be held at a beach in Port Moresby on Thursday over the treatment of people in West Papua.

Asked about the issue Mr Howard said it had not been raised with him by leaders at the forum.

- NZPA