French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson in Honiara for the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting from 8-12 September 2025. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Caleb Fotheringham
French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson says Pacific leaders will discuss if dialogue partners should only be invited once every other year to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders' Meeting.
Brotherson is one of the leaders pleased with the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele's decision to exlude about two dozen external partners - including China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States - at this year's summit in Honiara.
"Some of us maybe refrain from saying certain things when the dialogue partners are around," Brotherson said.
"Some are suggesting that maybe we should meet with the dialogue partners every two years instead of every year. So that would give an alternative, that's an option, but it hasn't been decided. It's going to be discussed."
When asked if he thought it was a good idea, Brotherson said it could be "a compromised format".
"We should ask dialogue partners, what do they think about it."
The decision to exclude donor partners from the Forum was announced about a month ago at the Forum's Foreign Ministers' meeting. the decision has drawn criticism from several leaders, and there have been accusations that the Solomon Islands may be an unsuitable host for the annual gathering.
Brotherson expressed hope that the relationship with dialogue partners was not going to be damaged.
"If [dialogue partners] are disappointed and some of them had big announcements that they wanted to share with us, so they won't be able to do so."
'An act of Pacific self-determination'
Pacific Conference of Churches general-secretary Reverend James Bhagwan believes it was a good idea that the partners were not at the meeting.
"I think the chair of the Forum, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, has been quite wise," Bhagwan told RNZ Pacific.
"I see this as an act of Pacific self-determination. This is a space now for the Pacific to talk. I know there are those who would wish to be here, but this is now really a Pacific Islands Forum."
PIF secretary-general Baron Waqa said the meeting will be successful without the partners.
"Having said that I'm not saying that we don't need them, we need them, and they will be back next year in Palau."
Manele said "deferring" partner dialogue was to give time for the Forum to review how it engages with external partners.
Brotherson expects PIF dialogue partners to respect the decision.
"I haven't seen anyone from the partners lurking around," he said, adding he met with European Union Commissioner for International Partnership Jozef Síkela, who said he was disappointed but respected the decision.
Brotherson, who is a strong advocate against deep sea mining, said dialogue partners have a role in dissuading other Pacific countries who are interested in the industry by providing other economic opportunities.
"Those big countries that sometimes have a tendency to come and lecture us, on environment and things like that. They are the same countries that have been mining the whole planet for centuries.
"I want to tell them, instead of lecturing us, come and help us. Build our economies because you cannot just tell us, don't do it, help us do otherwise."
