The Government of Tuvalu has agreed to host the Polynesian Leaders Group meeting that was to be held in American Samoa next month.
KHJ News received confirmation that the Governor General of Tuvalu, Iakopa Italeli, in a speech to mark the Queen’s Birthday over the weekend announced that Tuvalu would be hosting the PLG meeting as well as the Pacific Islands Forum Meeting in August.
It’s planned that American Samoa will pay for some of the costs for the meeting in Tuvalu and these details are being worked out between the Tuvalu Government and the Governor’s Office.
Governor Lolo Moliga had offered American Samoa as host of this year’s PLG meeting when he attended the conference of Polynesian leaders in Apia two years ago.
However, last month the Governor sent a request to the Tuvalu PM Enele Sopoaga requesting if the PLG meeting could be held in Tuvalu when the country hosts the Forum meeting in August.
Last year, the governor established a Task Force to plan the hosting of the PLG and named Lt Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga as chair,
During his visit to the territory last month, Director of the Office of Insular Affairs Nikolao Pula announced among grants for ASG, $350,000 to the Governor’s Office to help host the PLG meeting here.
A member of the Governor’s Office staff who did not wish to be named said that this DOI funding will not be touched at this time.
American Samoa is offering to host the PLG meeting early next year and that funding will be used for the actual conference in American Samoa.
