Pacific Week attracts more support

PLANS for South Pacific Week at Auckland in October are likely to result in support from three major regional organisations. The South Pacific Commission hopes to participate in the trade fair, according to its Secretary General, Atanraoi Baiteke. Pacific Fo rum Line has offered support to govern ments and organisations which want to ship exhibits and products to the event.

At Auckland, the Director of the South Pacific Trade Office, Steve Houlihan, has prepared a proposal for the involve ment of all 13 Forum Island Countries.

The theme of South Pacific Week is the promotion of growth and development.

The Pacific Forum Line operates vital shipping services to most of the indepen dent Forum Island Countries and was set

up primarily to assist economic develop ment within the region.

As a token of its support towards regional broadcasting, Radio New Zea land has offered to establish an on-site studio for all members of the Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association (PIBA). New Zealand’s Community Newspapers Association hopes to estab lish a similar facility for the print media from the South Pacific.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger has lent his support and said: “Support and co-operation among Pa cific countries are key ingredients in the recipe for prosperity. Matters of mutual interest such as trade, tourism and climatic change should be discussed regularly by regional policy makers. I am

pleased South Pacific Week is being staged in Auckland because New Zea land can’t afford to be left out of the Asia Pacific communication network.”

South Pacific Week co-ordinator Roy Vaughan is pleased with the way other territories are rallying to support the event.” The Australian and French embassies in Wellington have indicated that they will have cultural groups.

Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) is using its own network of members to make this an effective promotion.”

The (French) Pacifique Press Com munication correspondent in Suva, Pat rick Schlouch, has become a key liaison point for French Pacific media involve ment and Fred Radewagen, the Director of the American Samoan Government office in Washington, has been cranking up involvement from the American territories. □