PM SOGAVARE FAIRLY SATISFIED WITH PIF DECISION ON WEST PAPUA

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Photo credit: OPMC.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has said he is fairly satisfied with the contentious approach taken by leaders of the recent 46th Pacific Leaders Forum on the issue of West Papua.

In a recent interview with SIBC News in Port Moresby, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the leaders decision on West Papua is good for Solomon Islands.

“And it’s good for us because it will be a test for PIF and give us a stronger ground to come up more strongly in the 2016 PIF as that will be their test supposing the high-level delegation left and were not allowed, then that would be our reason, and so PIF needs to take a stronger position on this as Indonesia may not be genuine about these things so we can go all the way to the United Nations.”

The Prime Minister added West Papuan issue will be brought before the Committee of 24 in the upcoming United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 on the 25-17 of September.

“I will bring it up while the Envoy will take the lead and we will start talking again with the Coalition at the world standard and so all the countries in Africa are ready, for instance, Gana is ready to challenge this free choice at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), so Africa is ready, the Carribean is ready and we will take this up to the international scene and we will make a very strong statement at the United Nations for the plight of West Papua.”