ALOFI, Niue, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from 15 nations of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) concluded their summit on Wednesday with the adoption of a forum communique and the Niue Declaration on Climate Change.

    The leaders discussed a number of issues, including the implementation of the Pacific Plan, food and energy security, climate change and Fiji situation, and achieved "positive outcomes," the Niuean Premier Toke Talagi told a press conference after a whole day of retreat of the Forum leaders.

    Talagi is chairing in the coming year the 16-member PIF, which groups Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Micronesia, Kiribati, Niue, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Fiji announced to pull out of this year's summit just two days ahead ofthe opening.

    The leaders, who meet annually to develop collective responses to regional issues, agreed to appoint Tuiloma Slade, a veteran diplomat from Samoa, as the new Secretary General of the PIF Secretariat for a three-year term, said Talagi.

    REGIONAL GROWTH

    Lagging the world in economic development, small island nations of the PIF are expecting the Forum to work out ways to improve their aid-ridden economies, enhance labor mobility to the richer nations of Australia and New Zealand and promote industries other than agriculture, logging and fishing.

    In their Forum Communique, the PIF leaders noted that considerable progress had been made in implementing initiatives of the Pacific Plan, adopted by Forum leaders in October 2005 for strengthening regional cooperation and integration.

    They also stressed the continuing need to set clear direction and targets for members, regional agencies and development partners.

    Noting their concerns at recent rapid increases in food and fuel prices, leaders highlighted the critical importance of efforts to reduce dependence on oil through measures to improve energy efficiency and move towards greater use of renewable energy.     

    Leaders also underlined the need for urgent action to bring the bulk petroleum purchase initiative, a move to join the force of small island countries to lower fuel prices, to fruition.

    Leaders welcomed New Zealand's provision of seasonal work opportunities for Pacific Island countries and welcomed Australia's announcement of a pilot scheme as a means to greater economic integration and development.

    Remittance sent by overseas guest workers is a crucial source of income for small Pacific Islands countries.     

    CLIMATE CHANGE

    The effect of "global warming" has been a threat to safety of island communities, as some low-lying countries, such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, are facing inundation from rising sea levels.

    With climate change as this year's main theme, Forum leaders expressed their deep concerns over the serious current impacts of and growing threat posed by climate change to the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and security of Pacific island countries.

    "Despite being amongst the lowest contributors to factors causing climate change, the Pacific Islands region is one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change including its exacerbation of climate variability, sea level rise and extreme weather events," said the leaders in their Niue Declaration on Climate Change

    The forum leaders stressed the importance of cooperating towards the establishment of an effective post-2012 framework in which all major economies will participate in a responsible manner.

    They called on international partners to assist their development by undertaking immediate and effective measures to reduce emissions, use cleaner fuels, and increase use of renewable energy sources.

    They also encouraged all Pacific Island countries, with the assistance of development partners, to continue to address the impacts of climate change through 'no regrets' or 'low regrets' actions in affected sectors.

    FIJI SITUATION

    Earlier in the day, Talagi held a separate press conference on Fiji situation, issuing a communique on Fiji, which appeared as part of the complete Forum Communique released later.

    The Forum leaders expressed "serious" concerns at Fiji's absence to this year's PIF summit, urging the country's interim government to honor its commitment to hold elections by March 2009.     

    Fiji interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who seized power in a bloodless coup in December 2006, announced on Monday that his country was pulling out of this year's PIF summit, triggering concerns among his fellow PIF partners who are expected to discuss with him face-to-face at the summit about the election process.

    Reaffirming the readiness of Forum members to continue to assist Fiji to prepare the election, the PIF leaders acknowledged that there are long-term issues that need to be addressed in Fiji, including through independent and inclusive political dialogue.

    They also vowed to conduct the dialogue as a "genuine" one, "without precondition, threats, ultimatum or predetermined outcomes" and with "support by all key stakeholders."

    The leaders agreed that they would consider a further special summit meeting by the end of 2008 to consider "special measures" in relation to Fiji, and that "measures to be considered include the suspension of particular governments from the Forum".

    Talagi confirmed at the press conference that the suspension was among the measures to be considered, but at the moment it was not being discussed.

    "We are not interested in isolation," said Talagi, adding that both the contact group and himself, who is chairing the PIF in the coming year, are ready to work as medium to conduct dialogues with Fiji.

    Also as part of the agenda of the PIF summit, the 20th Post-Forum Dialogue Partners' Plenary will be held on Thursday with focus on Coral Pasisi and other regional and International issues.

    Since 1989, the Forum has held Post Forum Dialogues with key Dialogue Partners (PFDP) at Ministerial level. The 14-member PFDP includes: Canada, China, European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Britain and the United States.

    With a population of less than 1,600, Niue was the smallest country in the PIF. The last time Niue hosted a PIF summit was in 1978.

    The next PIF summit will be held in Australia.