By Saadet Gokce
ISTANBUL (AA) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said Friday that the Pacific nation deferred inviting the US and China and others to a key regional summit.
“They claimed we’ve excluded our dialogue partners. That’s not the correct word," said Maneke, referring to reports that the Solomon Islands had blocked the attendance of 21 dialogue partners of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
The Solomon Islands is set to host PIF leaders for their annual summit in September, during which the leaders of the 18 members will come together.
PIF leaders also hold meetings with their 21 dialogue partners, including the US, China, the EU, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, on the sidelines of the summit.
But this year, the Solomon Islands has decided to defer those meetings.
"What we are saying is: Let’s give more time for the region to put the new process in place so we can effectively engage with our partners going forward, not now, but at a later stage, once we are ready,” said Manele, according to the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.
Several media reports claimed Taiwan was the reason for the postponement, which in the past had informally attended side events at the summit, although not as an official partner.
Taipei's Foreign Ministry urged the forum to "maintain its existing arrangements" and allow Taiwan's participation at the summit, according to Focus Taiwan.
The Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Nauru, all members of the PIF, shifted relations to Beijing in the past, with Nauru being the latest to cut ties with Taiwan in 2024, dwindling the number of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies to 12.