Foreign ministers from across the Pacific Islands Forum's 18 member states gathered in Suva, Fiji, to prepare for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, due to take place in Palau the following month.1 Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong was among those attending.2
Discussions centered on the region's core priorities — peace and security, climate change, and economic development — against a backdrop organizers described as one of intensifying geopolitical competition in the Pacific.1 Officials emphasized that regional ownership of these priorities matters most as outside powers compete for influence.