The Pacific Islands Forum has been dealt a heavy blow after the surprise withdrawal of Kiribati from the regional body—the peak intergovernmental organisation in the region.
The move comes amid ongoing dissatisfaction from Micronesian countries in the Forum, a festering issue that has erupted amid Beijing’s ongoing influence in the region.
On July 10, news of Kiribati’s decision emerged after a letter from President Taneti Maamau to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna was published on TVNZ.
Maamau pointed to ongoing dissatisfaction with the running of the Forum and the sidelining of Micronesia as the reason for his withdrawal….
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