Foreign Minister Winston Peters in Suva Photo: RNZ Pacific / Teuila Fuatai
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters is blaming "outsiders" for causing disagreements within the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
"Outsiders are now telling us who we can have as guests. That's not the Pacific way and if you dissect every Pacific Islands population, they will not like that," Peters, who is attending the PIF Foreign Ministers Meeting in Suva, said.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has proposed that the Forum defer the annual dialogue partner meeting when leaders meet at the regional summit in Honiara.
The move will essentially block at least twenty countries from participating at the key Pacific meeting in just over three weeks' time. It includes countries like the US and China, which will not participate until next year's summit in Palau.
Solomon Islands and China have close diplomatic relations, signing a security agreement in 2022. The country has faced criticism for deciding to can the dialogue partners component after its plans to keep Taiwan out of the annual meeting.
However, Manele has dismissed the idea that China-Taiwan tensions are to blame.
Peters said the last split in 2021 was an "internal squabble" of PIF nations' "own making".
"We hardly got that sorted out now, we've got outsiders causing a split and that's worse.
"We've got to make sure that every outsider comes here with respect for us, of us who are inside the organisation."
Pacific leaders disagree over the proposal to defer the dialogue and development partners.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr, whose country has diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Samoa's caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa both back the Solomon Islands' decision.
Fiame has made a U-turn after initially telling the ABC that she would boycott the meeting over this issue.
Fiji's Prime Minister, on the other hand, has warned that such a move would threaten regional unity.
Peters said the statement from Manele came out of left field.
"'Well, yes, you might give us aid, but you can't come to our meeting as an observer', [but] this is not going be very helpful. It's our job to try and sort out this as fast as we can."
Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Minister in Suva. 14 August 2025 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Teuila Fuatai
Peters said the most important thing was to ensure outsiders' priorities do not override the region's interests.
"Our job is to ensure that the collective beneficial interests of the Pacific Island countries in this forum prevail and are not pulled apart."
