Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has thanked New Zealand for convening the open debate on “Peace and Security Challenges facing Small Island Developing States” during New Zealand’s Presidency of the Security Council.
Bainimarama met with New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key.
The bilateral talks were held at the margins of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Bainimarama also commended New Zealand for its role at the UN.
Prime Minister Key says that New Zealand is very pleased to be able to announce the declaration of one of the world’s largest ocean sanctuaries within the New Zealand EEZ in the Kermadec region.
He says the sanctuary will cover 15% of New Zealand’s EEZ, an area twice the size of NZ’s landmass.
Prime Minister Bainimarama welcomed this news, and advised Prime Minister Key of Fiji’s own efforts to safeguard Sustainable Development Goal 14, the Ocean’s Goal, by inaugurating the Triennial Conferences on Oceans and Seas.
Bainimarama says the Governments of Fiji and Sweden would co-host the first of these conferences in Fiji in June 2017.
