Foreign Minister Manele addresses Plenary of the PACP Leaders Meeting in Rarotonga on the new OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement (SAMOA agreement)

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Jeremiah Manele, commenced Day Two of his official engagements at the 52^nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting, with the meeting session of the Pacific- Organization of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (PACP) Leaders in Rarotonga, Cook Islands on Tuesday 7 November 2023.

The PACP Leaders meeting convened at an opportune time for the PACP, as the Organization of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) prepares for the signing of the new OACPS-EU partnership agreement – to be called the Samoa Agreement, that will be held on 15 November 2023 in Apia, Samoa.

Solomon Islands contributed to discussions on the way forward for the PACP’s institutional arrangements for the Samoa Agreement, and the Pacific Regional Protocol.

In his intervention, Foreign Minister Manele reiterate the need to ensure the modality and mechanism in implementing the new Samoa Agreement are established, to ensure predictability, and enable resources to be channeled directly to address the needs and priorities of PACP members.

He further emphasized the ongoing necessity to further develop the structure and nature of the implementation mechanism especially regarding the acquisition of resources and funding within the framework of the Samoa Agreement’s implementation.

Foreign Minister Manele joined other PACP Leaders to acknowledge the Government and people of Samoa on their preparations to host the signing of the Samoa Agreement, and confirm that Solomon Islands look forward to sign the Samoa Agreement next week in Apia, Samoa. The Samoa Agreement is the successor of the Cotonou Agreement that guides the relations, engagement and development cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

ENDS//

-MFAET PRESS RELEASE