Pacific islands seek to strengthen ties with European Union

Pacific ACP leaders convened on Aug. 31 as part of several high-level meetings at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror. Photo courtesy of TMC Palau/Pasifika TV

By Mar-Vic Cagurangan

Koror--Facing uncertainties amid rising geopolitical pressure, Pacific island leaders are seeking stronger relations with the European Union, underscoring the value of leveraging the region’s international partnerships that align with its initiatives and goals.

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. highlighted the Samoa Agreement, which formed EU's partnership with the African, Caribbean and Pacific states grouping to pave the way for political, economic and social collaboration.

During the Pacific ACP states’ Aug. 31 meeting in Koror as part of several high-level meetings at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, Whipps urged all member states to ratify the Samoa Agreement “to enable its smooth implementation.”

The Samoa Agreement is a 20-year treaty that replaced the Cotonou Agreement, a similar partnership framework aimed at reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development through cooperation in various sectors in member states.

“Current global developments demand that we must, and we have the opportunity this week to revisit these partnerships, and to reaffirm the value and benefits they bring,” said Whipps, chair of the Pacific ACP.

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Pacific ACP states include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Naoero, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Baron Divavesi Waqa, the Forum's secretary general, described the Samoa Agreement as an important platform for advancing Pacific priorities identified in the 2050 Strategy for Blue Pacific Continent.

"With the Forum advancing the 2050 Strategy and the Review of the Regional Architecture, the Secretariat’s mandate to lead the implementation of the Samoa Agreement becomes both highly relevant and critical," Waqa said.

"Our place and role in the OACPS is imperative and long-standing. As we confront a rapidly evolving global landscape, the OACPS must be well-positioned to meet future challenges," he added.

Whipps agreed that partnerships must be "agile and adaptable to keep up with the evolving world and environment around us."

The Samoa Agreement, which was signed on Nov. 15, 2023, between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific states grouping, provisionally entered into force on Jan. 1 2024.

“The Pacific Regional Protocol provides an important platform to advance our regional priorities in partnership with the European Union,” Whipps said.

“Its value must be measured by what it enables the Pacific to achieve: stronger political engagement, better alignment of development cooperation with our priorities, improved access to financing, stronger Pacific representation and tangible outcomes for our countries and people,” he added.

“I acknowledge the longstanding partnership between the Pacific and the European Union. Many national and regional initiatives borne out of this partnership have benefitted our countries immensely,” Whipps said.

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