Photo: RNZ Pacific
The Pacific Islands Forum has rocky beginnings in Suva this morning as Kiribati withdraws with immediate effect, re-exposing a rift that has previously threatened to break up the regional body. It is the Forum's 51st meeting and the the first time the nations’ leaders will meet face to face since the pandemic. The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Kiribati's decision to leave the Pacific Islands Forum isn't necessarily about wider security issues within the region. Global interdisciplinary scholar, Distinguished Professor Steve Ratuva is the Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury talks to Kathryn about the issues up for talanoa.