Posted on 15 June 2023
On June 8, Samoan Prime Minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa welcomed Henry Puna, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, to Apia – his first trip to the nation since holding the title.
In her remarks, Mata’afa discussed Pacific regionalism in a time she describes as a “crowded and complex geopolitical landscape.”
"Our blue Pacific region has never ceased to provide us with opportunities to strengthen regionalism", she says. She pushes for acting "collectively and to formulate and carry out effective joint responses to address the challenges we face."
Puna spoke to Samoa’s regional legacy, acknowledging its role in the emergence of “shared regional determination, a key concept which continues to influence today’s Forum regionalism, and the notion of collective strength.”