SUVA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting started on Tuesday in the Samoan capital of Apia with the Pacific leaders in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP countries) raising concerns at not being able to get some of the European Union (EU) funds allocated to them.
PIF Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor said it was extremely disappointing that the region had still not been able to get the European development assistance to the region through the regional envelope of development funds to address the agreed priority areas identified by the region.
The broader theme of the 48th Pacific Island Forum - The Blue Pacific - focuses on strengthening PIF member states' collective identity and indeed collective political action to advance their regional priorities.
Taylor encouraged the Pacific ACP leaders to capitalise on this renewed impetus and new narrative.
Meanwhile, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoan prime minister and chair of the Pacific component of the ACP group of nations, said that about 200 million U.S. dollars had been withheld.
Both Taylor and the Samoan prime minister hoped that the EU will not further cut the allocated funds for the region.
As the climate change issue, which is on the top agenda, Tuvalu hopes that the United States will change its attitude toward the climate change.
Tuvalu's Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga said in Apia on Tuesday that countries need to work together to ensure the U.S. stays in the Paris climate change agreement, which was signed by most of the world's countries in December 2015, with each signatory agreeing to lower their greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to stave off the most drastic effects of climate change.
He said that given the U.S. President Donald Trump's dismissal of the agreement, nations needed to work multilaterally to ensure there is trust and respect in the interests of saving humanity.
Founded in 1971, the inter-governmental organization with 18 member states aims at enhancing cooperation. The annual PIF leaders meeting will end on Friday.
