Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Vanuatu PM looks forward to working with new Solomons PM

Posted at 01:40 on 21 December, 2007 UTC

Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Ham Lini says he looks forward to working with his new Solomon Islands counterpart, Derek Sikua.

Mr Lini is due to host a Melanesian Spearhead Group summit at the newly built MSG secretariat in Port Vila in February.

He indicated the meeting had been postponed from this year because the Solomon Islands was preoccupied with its domestic political situation.

But Mr Lini says now that the Solomons parliament has settled on a change of leadership, he hopes the MSG can get on with its business.

“Well it is one of our neighbours and us Melanesian countries, we always work together with the Solomons. And we hope that with the new Prime Minister, we’ll work more co-operatively together, and we don’t have any problem with the Solomons.”

Ham Lini says he intends to send a congratulatory message to Derek Sikua today.