June 24 (Reuters) – The United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have formed an informal group aimed at strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with Pacific island nations, it said on Friday. the White House.
The group, called Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP), will support Pacific regionalism and strengthen economic ties between Pacific islands and the rest of the world.
“We are united in our resolve to support a region that benefits the people of the Pacific. We are also united in how we will achieve this vision – according to the principles of Pacific regionalism, sovereignty, transparency, accountability and, above all, under the leadership and direction of the Pacific Islands,” the White House said.
The Biden administration has pledged to provide additional resources to the Indo-Pacific region as China seeks to strengthen its economic, military and security ties with Pacific nations.
(Report Jarrett Renshaw; French version Camille Raynaud)
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