Helen Clark is forecasting a contentious Pacific Islands Forum next week, saying she's deeply concerned by rhetoric coming from Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
Helen Clark travels to Fiji for the forum next Monday and said yesterday that fast-moving events in the Solomons was likely to become the focus
of significant discussion between the leaders.
It follows a major fall-out between Australia and the Governments of the Solomons and Papua New Guinea over Australian attempts to extradite Australian lawyer Julian Moti for alleged sex offences.
Moti was spirited out of Port Moresby to the Solomons last week on a Papua New Guinean military flight.
He is in custody but retains the support of Mr Sogavare, who planned to make him attorney general.
The matter appears to have become a lightning rod for relations between the two Pacific states and Australia - often accused of trying to bully its smaller Pacific neighbours in exchange for financial support.
The Australian High Commissioner has been expelled from Honiara and on Friday Mr Sogavare threatened to rescind legislation enabling the presence of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (Ramsi).
The Australian Government has meanwhile suspended ministerial contact with Papua New Guinea, demanding a full inquiry into how Moti escaped with Government help when an Australian warrant was out for his arrest.
Helen Clark, who yesterday restricted her criticisms to the Solomons leadership, said "it's shaping up to be a reasonably contentious forum".
The Australian High Commissioner's expulsion was a "most regrettable matter" and she was "very concerned" about Mr Sogavare's threats regarding the Ramsi legislation.
Although there was no declaration of a firm intent to rescind it, the "very fiery speech" revealed how precarious the political situation in the Solomons was.
"It is a great concern to us."
Helen Clark praised the work of forum Secretary General Greg Urwin, downplaying talk of a challenge to his ongoing leadership.
"Firstly, it's yet to be seen whether a challenge will materialise. Secondly, I have immense respect for Greg Urwin. I think he has done an excellent job and I would be most concerned if political manoeuvring were to threaten [his job]."
