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Melanesian foreign ministers visit Papua
Jakarta Globe - January 13, 2014
"We are happy to undertake this important visit at the invitation of the Indonesian Government to be able to assess the application by WPNCL to become a member of the MSG to enable us to present a recommendation to our leaders," Fijian Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said.
"We fully respect Indonesia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and we further recognize that West Papua is an integral part of Indonesia."
The Melanesian Spearhead Group represents Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Three foreign ministers, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato and Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Soalaoi Clay Forau arrived at Sentani airport on Monday morning. The Vanuatu foreign minister did not join the delegation.
It is understood that the Melanesian delegation will assess Papua's human-rights record and infrastructure progress as a precursor to joining the MSG. The existing member states have also signed an inter-state preferential trade agreement.
Yan Ciristian Warinusy, a human rights activist in Papua, said the visit was in line with the preliminary agenda of the MSG summit held in June 2013 in Noumea, Kanaky-New Caledonia.
"This is an important matter, a prerequisite for them to determine how they will consider the membership of Papua into the MSG membership," he said, "as based on the application by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL)."
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