[Source: NGS]

There are no heroes or villains in the Pacific’s geopolitical competitions as the threats of the climate crisis supersede geopolitical tension.

Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad says this is why the Pacific is not interested in playing the blame game but in responding to the woes of climate change.

“The region knows too well that there is no good or bad guys in the geo-political contestation, and of course there is a debate about that as well. And we may say that we can blame all large economies but right now 40% of the greenhouse gases come from the US and China.”

[Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad]

Prasad is calling for stronger Pacific regionalism.

“So in facing our existing gravest challenge of our time, we must work from this premise. We must work from this premise, that all we have is ourselves, as individuals’ citizens of the Blue Pacific and as countries that make up the Blue Pacific and this is not inconsequential.”

Meanwhile, the former USA’s Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power says its support for the region in the form of grants and aid is an olive branch to help the Pacific with its development goals.

[USA’s Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power]

“We are back with greater numbers here than we’ve had in sometime and we will continue to expand our presence believing that in so doing, you know as they say, all ships will rise, fundamentally as this region becomes more prosperous and stable that is good for humanity that is good for the United States.”

Over the years, the Fijian government has maintained that its greatest concern is climate change and not geopolitics.