Fiji, July 2 -- Solomon Islands Prime Minister and Forum Chair Mathew Wale has declared that Pacific leaders must take ownership of the region's future, warning that while international interest in the Pacific continues to grow, the region's development agenda and security priorities must remain firmly in Pacific hands.

Delivering his inaugural address at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Wale said the Pacific was operating in an increasingly contested geopolitical environment and urged leaders to ensure that decisions affecting the Blue Pacific are made by Pacific nations themselves.

"It is wonderful to be here in Suva, and most especially here at the Secretariat - the very heart of our Pacific Regionalism.

"At the outset...