RI FM ATTENDS PACIFIC FORUM MEETING WITH DIALOG PARTNERS

Brisbane, Aug 7 (ANTARA) - Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda arrived in Cairns, Australia, on Thursday to lead the Indonesian delegation to the 21st meeting of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) member states with their dialog partners on Friday.

During his stay, Wirajuda was also scheduled to meet with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, senior diplomat for political affairs at the Indonesian embassy in Canberra Dupito Darma Simamora said on Thursday.

"After attending the meeting on Friday, Foreign Minister Wirajuda will leave Cairns for New Zealand," he said.

The Indonesian delegation includes Director General of Asia-Pacific and African Affairs at the Foreign Ministry Hamzah Thayeb, Indonesian Ambassador to Australia and Vanuatu Primo Alui Joelianto and Indonesian consul general based in Sydney Sudaryomo Hartosudarmo.

PIF's dialog partners are Canada, China, France, Japan, Britain, the United States, European Union, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, Thailand, and Italy.

At the end of their 40th two-day meeting on Thursday, the PIF member countries issued a joint communique focusing on such issues as climate change, trade cooperation, commitment to strengthening coordination in the development of the Pacific region, the Pacific Plan and the threat of H1N1 flu.

While admitting that climate change posed a big challenge to the Pacific Islands, PIF leaders agreed to adopt Pacific's call to action on climate change.

The PIF leaders also warmly welcomed UN Resolution A/Res/63/281 on climate change.

In their communique the PIF leaders asserted their strong support for Australia's efforts to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

The Forum is an inter-governmental organization which aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean and represent their interests.

Founded in 1971, the Forum groups Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Fiji was suspended on May 2, 2009. Since 2006, associate member territories are New Caledonia and French Polynesia.