[Source: Fijian Government / Facebook]

The Secretary of State of the United States of America, Antony Blinken, has reiterated that they are deeply committed to the Pacific and have built enduring partnerships.

Blinken says that’s why in June they created the Partners of the Blue Pacific, a new initiative to work with Pacific Island countries towards shared goals.

This is a partnership guided by the people of the Pacific Islands.

According to Blinken, they have had extensive discussions about the new initiative with representatives from Pacific Island countries.

”We have listened to your priorities and your ideas. Based on these discussions, we have identified six lines of effort to pursue together to advance the goals of your 2050 strategy.”

Blinken says they intend to support Pacific countries that are most vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme storms as they adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The US Secretary of State hosted the Ministerial Meeting of the Partners in the Blue Pacific to move the partnership forward and to discuss the Pacific’s priorities.

During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of Germany and Canada assured Pacific leaders that a greater emphasis will be placed on expanding their partnerships with the Pacific, including Fiji.