PACIFIC Island leaders will discuss strengthening partnerships when they convene in Nadi for the third Engaging With The Pacific (EWTP) meeting this week.
A government statement said leaders, foreign ministers and senior officials from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia (FLNKS), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Timor Leste, Vanuatu, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna would attend.
The statement said development partners from Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, China, Luxembourg, Morocco, Georgia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Cuba, South Africa, Kosovo and Turkey have been invited and over 20 representatives including presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, and senior diplomats have confirmed participation.
During the second EWTP at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi in September last year, Pacific leaders called on the Fiji government to remain true to its commitment to elections in September, 2014, with some leaders calling for elections to be brought forward.
Solomon Islands Foreign Minister at the time Peter Chanel Agovaka said while the country's progress towards democratic elections was duly noted, Fiji should go to elections earlier than 2014.
"It would be very good if Fiji could advance it more, instead of September 2014, move it to September 2013. If they can do that, it would bring a world of good not only to Fiji but to the region as well," he said at the time.