FUNAFUTI, 29 JUNE 2018 (TUVALU GOVERNMENT) – In true Polynesian spirit, the six Polynesian leaders present at the 8th Polynesian Leaders’ Group (PLG) Summit endorsed the proposal to include more Polynesian countries and communities to the group.
Three Polynesian countries and communities have been admitted as new members of the Group. They are Hawaii, Rapanui (Easter Island) and Maori (New Zealand). They join the current nine members comprising of Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Niue, American Samoa and French Polynesia.
PLG Chair and Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sosene Sopoaga said, “There is a strong consensus that we should welcome our brothers Hawaii, Rapanui and Maori as members of the Polynesian Leaders’ Group.”
He said, “In accordance with the MOU which we signed, we welcome other Polynesian communities in other places and locations to join the PLG as brothers.”
He said it is so important for all Polynesian brothers to come together because the issues they are dealing with are very important and require a collective engagement.
At this 8th PLG summit all members attended except for Cook Islands and French Polynesia.
The leaders will meet again at the Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Nauru in August, and the next PLG summit will be held in Pago Pago, American Samoa
