"(As) for the 10th PALM Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, on July 16-18 it is going to be opened in Tokyo, that was agreed. This Summit started and established in 1997 and (is) taking place every once in three years and this is going to be our 10th opening. The Pacific area and islands are very long-time friends," Hayashi told a press conference, reported Sputnik.
Japan expects to expand "the loop of the cooperation" with the Pacific islands and join efforts in areas such as climate change, the official added.
At a time when the foundations of the world order are shaking, the summit is very important to strengthen cooperation among partners, Hayashi said.
The summit has been held every three years since 1997. This will be the first offline meeting in the past six years, as the previous summit in 2021 was held online amid the coronavirus pandemic.
-- BERNAMA
