Fri, May 22, 2009
TOMAMU, Japan, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Japan and 16 Pacific island nations and regions gathered Friday in Tomamu, Hokkaido for the Fifth Japan-Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit.
Co-chaired by Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Niue Premier Toke Talagi, the two-day summit will discuss a wide range of issues such as Japan's official development assistance (ODA) to the Pacific islands and measures to tackle climate change as well as the fast-spreading A/H1N1 flu.
The Japan-PIF summit was first held in 1997 and has since convened every three years with Japan as the host.
The PIF groups Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
