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(Photos: New
Zealand Defence Force) |
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NEW ZEALAND: NZ Defence Force arrives to warm
welcome in Tonga
Source:
New Zealand Defence Force Press
Release
New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel
arrived Monday (April 11, 2011) to a warm
welcome by the locals of Niuatoputapu. The tiny
island within the island nation of Tonga was
devastated by a tsunami following the 2009
Samoan earthquake and suffered significant
damage.
The HMNZS CANTERBURY, Seasprite and Iroqouis
helicopters assisted in Niuatoputapu after the
initial tsunami hit, and Defence is now
returning to provide further assistance and will
be there for nine days as part of Pacific
Partnership 2011. The New Zealand Government is
supporting the development work being carried
out in Tonga with funding of $250,000 from the
New Zealand Aid Programme.
Work on the island will focus on the local
clinic, primary school and high school as well
as the channel and wharf area of Niuatoputapu.
NZ Defence Force personnel will assist in the
on-going clearance of tsunami debris, rebuilding
and refurbishing schools on the island and
surveying wharf damage to prevent further damage
and erosion. Further NZ Defence Force efforts
will include providing health and dental clinics
for locals, such as preventative dental
presentations for school pupils and first aid
training for the populace.
The NZ Defence Force Commander of the exercise,
Lieutenant Colonel Donald Jones said the arrival
at Niuatoputapu went very well.
“It is great to be here and to get started, we
had a nice welcome from the local officials and
we discussed the assistance we would provide
over the next week within their community. The
HMNZS CANTERBURY is currently anchored off the
reef and has commenced underwater surveys of the
channels in preparation for the busy week ahead,
while the FANC (Forces Armees de la Nouvelle
Caledonie) PUMA will continue to move personnel
and loads of materials.”
Local Niuatoputapu dignitary, Lord Tangipa, said
the education and health of the community is
vital.
“We are very grateful, and the work NZ Defence
will be doing at our local schools and in and
around our coastlines will benefit our community
as a whole.”
The NZ Defence Force contingent will supply
several new water tanks for the population of
Niuatoputapu which will be invaluable as the
island has insufficient sources of fresh water
to rely on in emergencies. Locals on
Niuatoputapu will be provided with basic tool
sets and paint supplies allowing them to assist
with the building projects being undertaken.
The name Niuatoputapu means sacred island, and
the current population is just under 900 people.
Pacific Partnership is a US-led humanitarian and
disaster relief (HADR) exercise carried out with
partner nations throughout the Pacific. The
exercise aims to increase interoperability and
deliver medical, dental, veterinary and
engineering services. Niuatoputapu is the first
location Defence will be providing aid and
assistance, the second is Espiritu Santo,
Vanuatu.
This is the largest scale of NZ Defence Force
participation in Pacific Partnership, dedicating
over 200 personnel to the exercise.
Photo Captions:
New Zealand Defence Force personnel arrive at
Niuatoputapu Island to prepare for humanitarian
aid and disaster relief which will be carried
out with partner nations throughout the pacific.
Photo 1 - MR Peau Haukimima, the
Government Representative, shows Army Personnel
around the island where they will be working.
Photo 2 - HMNZS Canterbury off the coast
of
Niuatoputapu Island.
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(Photo:
Savali News) |
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SAMOA: Top Chinese political advisor visits
Source:
Savali News
China’s top political advisor Chairman Jia
Qinglin arrived in Apia late Sunday afternoon
for a three-day visit.
At Faleolo International Airport where he was
greeted by Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Pierre
Lauofo, Chairman Jia reflected on the friendly
relations between Beijing and Apia over the
years.
“The traditional friendship between China and
Samoa has a long history,” said the chairman,
the fourth-ranked in the ruling CCP party, and
the highest government official to ever visit
Samoa.
“Our bilateral relations have maintained sound
momentum of development, with deepening
political mutual trust, fruitful exchanges and
cooperation in economy, trade, culture,
education and health and the enhanced relations
between the people of our two countries.”
Though Chinese-Samoan bilateral relations were
formalised in 1975, the Chinese have a longer
history in Samoa that dates back to the labour
trade of the early 1900s during the German era
(in Samoa). A sizeable portion of the Samoan
populace of 180,000, have Chinese heritage
through intermarriages.
A sound China-Samoa relationship has brought
tangible benefits to the two peoples and
contributed to the stability and prosperity of
the South Pacific region, Chairman Jia said.
“I look forward to having an in-depth exchange
of views with the Samoan leaders on the
bilateral relations and other issues of common
interest and discussions on ways to effectively
deepen our friendly relations and cooperation,
enhance mutual understanding and friendship and
develop our exchanges and cooperation in all
fields,” Jia said.
Samoa is the last stop of Chairman Jia’s
three-nation tour, which had taken him to
Myanmar and Australia.
Yesterday morning, Chairman Jia paid a courtesy
visit to His Highness the Head of State Tui Atua
Tupua Tamasese Efi at Tuaefu, where he was
welcomed in a traditional ava ceremony.
Afterwards, the chairman held bilateral talks
with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
at Government Building.
Visits to the China-Samoa Agriculture
Demonstration Farm at Nu’u and the Robert Louis
Stevenson Museum at Vailima took place in the
afternoon.
Chairman Jia and his entourage of 80-plus
including staff and journalists left Samoa this
morning with a visit at China-built Vaitele
School on the way to the airport.
Photo Caption: Chairman Jia is welcomed
by Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo
at Faleolo Airport.
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AMERICAN SAMOA: Fa’aolataga Pulou offered
appointment to US Military Academy
Source:
Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Press Release
Congressman Faleomavaega recently announced that
he has been informed that Cadet Candidate
Fa’aolataga Pulou has successfully completed the
course requirements at the United States
Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) and
will, upon his graduation in May, receive an
offer of appointment to attend the United States
Military Academy at West Point, New York.
“I am very pleased to learn about Fa’aolataga
Pulou’s success at the USMAPS,” Faleomavaega
said. “I commend him for his hard work, desire
and determination that has now earned him an
opportunity to gain admittance to West Point and
subsequently achieve his ultimate goal to become
a leader, serving as an officer in the U.S.
Armed Forces.”
Fa’aolataga Pulou is the son of Mr. Fereti Pulou
and Mrs. Folauiula Pulou of Faga’itua, American
Samoa. He graduated from Kanana Fou High School
in 2008 and was named Salutatorian of his
graduating class. He was also a Prefect and a
member of the National Honor Society. Upon
enlisting in the U.S. Army, Pulou was assigned
to C/126th Financial Management Company at Fort
Riley, Kansas where he served as a Finance
Technician. Despite his youth, Pulou is a
veteran of the Afghanistan war where he was
awarded the Combat Action Badge.
The United States Military Academy Preparatory
School (USMAPS) located at Fort Monmouth, New
Jersey, prepares and trains selected personnel
to successfully compete for appointments to West
Point. The USMAPS emphasizes instruction in
mathematics and English. The academic program
readies the candidate for the standardized tests
required for admission to West Point, and
improves the candidate’s ability to meet the
Military Academy’s rigid academic course load.
“Obtaining an appointment to a U.S. service
academy is no easy feat and I congratulate Cadet
Candidate Pulou as well as his parents and
teachers for his success. As he has proved at
USMAPS, I have every confidence that Fa’aolataga
Pulou has the academic and physical ability to
succeed at West Point and I wish him the best of
luck” Faleomavaega concluded.
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(Photo:
Tourism Fiji) |
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FIJI: Travel writers visit hotels
Source:
Fiji Times
Fiji's tourism industry will host the
biggest-ever travel media group from North
America this week.
Seventy members from the Society of American
Travel Writers will spend 11 days covering key
tourist attractions and areas around the
country.
"This is the biggest-ever media group we have
hosted from North America and it will boost our
marketing efforts in as far as raising awareness
of Fiji as an ideal vacation destination is
concerned," said Tourism Fiji chief executive
officer Josefa Tuamoto.
According to Tourism Fiji, the core program from
April 12 to April 16 will be hosted by the Coral
Coast Hotel Association ù Warwick Fiji, Naviti
Resort, Hideaway, Outrigger on the Lagoon, with
the grand finale ù a Fiji-Me Media Marketplace
event, scheduled to be held at Shangri-La's
Fijian Resort this weekend.
The event is designed to showcase the best of
Fiji's flavours to the visiting media guests, in
a marketplace format.
Mr Tuamoto acknowledged the support from
industry partners in hosting the mammoth event,
which he said would go a long way towards
boosting Fiji's visibility and overall marketing
efforts in the United States and Canada.
The 70-strong group is made up of American and
Canadian travel writers, editors, video and
photo journalists.
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(Photo:
Vanuatu Daily Post) |
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VANUATU: Vanuatu and USP to build capacity for
Kanaks
Source:
Vanuatu Daily Post
The Vice Chancellor of the University of the
South Pacific (USP) Professor Rajesh Chandra,
said USP is willing enter into a partnership
with MSG countries in developing the human
resource capacity for the Kanaks in New
Caledonia.
“A decision by MSG leaders was for each country
to take the responsibility of assisting the
Kanaks of New Caledonia in building up their
capacities in preparation for the independence
referendum in 2015,” the Prime Minister said
during a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor
of USP, Professor Ranjesh Chandra.
Professor Chandra said if Vanuatu wishes to
sponsor for instance, a Kanak to study law in
Port Vila, USP would be glad to facilitate the
effort by providing a crash courses in English
for potential candidates to acquire the required
standard of English needed to pursue tertiary
education at USP.
Prime Minister Kilman said he raised the issue
with the Vice Chancellor so that there is
continuity and to show that Vanuatu is committed
to the independence and development of New
Caledonia. He said Vanuatu as the key voice of
independence for New Caledonia wants the Kanaks
to develop their resources to the capacity where
they are competent of running their own affairs
in government, economic development, legal
institution and social services etc…
“If each MSG government offers sponsorship for a
number of our Melanesian brothers in New
Caledonia, it will go a long way in helping to
build their capacity in different fields.”
In other developments, the Professor said USP is
going to offer French language programs at the
Emalus campus in Port Vila as part of a
tripartite agreement between USP, the University
of New Caledonia and the University of
Mauritius.
Photo Caption: USP Vice Chancellor
Professor Rajesh Chand (2nd from left on left
side of table) talking to Prime Minister Kilman
and his delegation during a courtesy visit
Friday 2nd of April.
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WORLDWIDE: Pacific governments to gather for
climate finance talks in Palau
Source:
United Nations Development Programme Press
Release
Representatives of ten Pacific governments will
gather in Palau later this week to discuss how
countries can increase their access to climate
funds and use them sustainably.
The workshop, organized by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), complements other
recent regional meetings on climate change, as
well as work being undertaken by regional
organisations on the potential options available
to Pacific Island countries to access and
effectively deliver climate change adaptation
initiatives.
The Vice President of Palau, Honorable Kerai
Mariur, Vice President and Minister of Finance,
Republic of Palau will officially open the
national stakeholders meeting on Thursday April
14. Senior government officials from Fiji,
Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati,
Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands,
Tuvalu, Tonga and Vanuatu as well as
representatives of regional agencies and civil
society organizations will attend the meeting.
“Climate change is one of the most pressing
development challenges facing the Pacific. While
globally there are promises of substantial
resources to respond to the impact of climate
change, Pacific island countries would benefit
from up-to-date knowledge and tools on how to
access and use these funds,” said the Deputy
UNDP Resident Representative Toily Kurbanov.
“Through this workshop, UNDP hopes that Pacific
Island countries can be better equipped with the
knowledge of innovative country-level solutions,
such as multi-donor climate funds and what they
might need to do to gain direct access to
multilateral climate funds.”
The two day workshop will also discuss the entry
points to ensure Pacific Island countries can
most effectively engage in the ongoing
international discussions on climate change both
collectively and as individual nations.
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