PRIME MINISTER Jeremiah Manele has embarked on his first overseas trip since taking office last month, with a slight change to the official announcement of the trip over the weekend.
The Prime Minister’s Press Secretariat told Solomon Star yesterday the first leg of the official visit to Australia is being taken separately unlike the initial announcement that the visit would extend to a marathon engagement taking in China and Japan as well.
“The visit to Australia is a separate engagement. It will end at the end of the week. This is because Prime Minister Manele wants to be in Honiara for the 46th Independence Anniversary.
“There is also the important event of the new Governor General taking Office,” the Prime Minister’s Press Secretariat said.
Thereafter, the Prime Minister will pay his first official visit to China. He will later travel to Japan to attend the PALM meeting which the Prime Minister of Japan is hosting for Pacific leaders.
Japan’s unilateral decision to dump nuclear contaminated water into the Pacific is expected to dominate top level discussions.
Pacific civil societies as well as fishermen and environmentalists are demanding tough action from their leaders at the PALM meeting in getting Japan to stop the release of the partially contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean.
A group of scientists representing the Pacific are also urging Japan to stop releasing the partially contaminated water until a safer way is found to dispose of the water.
By Alfred Sasako
