PRIME MINISTER TO ATTEND SUMMIT OF SOUTH PACIFIC FORUM LEADERS

The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jim Bolger today announced that he is to attend the 27th South Pacific Forum of Regional Heads of Government, at Majuro in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on September 3-4.

Mr Bolger said New Zealand placed great value on the annual summit of its regional neighbours. "Forum meetings enable Heads of Government to hold frank and private discussions on regional economic and political issues, particularly at the annual Leaders Retreat.

"Economic reform and resource management questions will be key themes of this year's Forum" Mr Bolger said. "Recent events have shown just how vulnerable island economies are to externally-generated financial scams and pressure to exploit and exhaust their natural resources."

Forum leaders are expected to endorse regular meetings between their Finance Ministers to co-operate on economic reform questions. Leaders will also discuss conservation and management of regional fisheries stocks. "These are practical steps we can and should take to support sustainable economic development in our own region".

Nuclear and disarmament questions are also a traditional focus of Forum meetings. "The Forum took a leading role last year in opposing France testing in the Pacific. This year I expect leaders to urge the adoption of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty at the United Nations, and support increased co-operation between regional nuclear free zones in the southern hemisphere."

The Prime Minister will meet Australia's Prime Minister John Howard for lunchtime discussions prior to the opening of the Forum next Tuesday.

Other countries represented at the meeting include Fiji, Western Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Niue, Cook Islands, Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu.

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