24 Sep 2010

MSG Secretariat anxious for group to move forward from chairmanship impasse

6:38 pm on 24 September 2010

The Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat says it's waiting on Vanuatu's Prime Minister Edward Natapei for direction on how the group will resolve the group's chairmanship.

An Eminent Persons Group from the MSG has completed its consultations on the chairmanship issue and submitted its report to Mr Natapei, the current MSG chair.

The three-person EPG was set up after the assumption of the MSG chairmanship by Fiji was derailed when Mr Natapei postponed the MSG Leaders Summit in Fiji two months ago.

Fiji subsequently suspended itself from any MSG discussion, and the EPG was unable to meet any Fiji officials when it travelled to Suva last week.

But the Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Rima Ravusiro, says he's hoping the sub-regional grouping can now move forward from the impasse.

"And we're just waiting for his directions now that the EPG has perhapsd got a fresh look on the issue and then we'll see how the chairman responds and how he deals with the report."

Rima Ravusiro says it's still unclear when a special meeting of the Leaders will be held to discuss the MSG chairmanship.