3 Jan 2013

Preparations to mark MSG's 25th anniversary underway in Vanuatu

4:59 am on 3 January 2013

Preparations for celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Melanesian Spearhead Group are underway in Port Vila in Vanuatu, though there is still no official date in place for the event.

Artists from its five member countries, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands have completed woodcarvings in Port Vila to mark the birth of the organisation.

The carvers have finished 3 metre tall sculptures that represent their countries.

They have also carved a spear, which is about 2 metres long, to be placed at the secretariat in the Vanuatu capital.

The carvers came together after an agreement on cultural cooperation within the MSG signed by the member governments last July during the Pacific Arts Festival in Solomon Islands.