The stage is set for the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo, with 16 of the 18 countries, including New Zealand and Australia, already in Japan for the event.

Absent will be Kiribati President Taneti Maamau due to upcoming elections and New Caledonia Congress President Louis Mapou due to the political crisis in the French territory.

Samoa's Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, arrived in Tokyo on Monday afternoon.

Climate change, fisheries, development support, release of treated nuclear wastewater, as well as the ongoing New Caledonia crisis will top the agenda.

Japan's Foreign Ministry confirmed to PACNEWS that fourteen leaders from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) will be attending PALM10 summit in Japan on Thursday.

The previous edition of the meeting held in 2021 focused on Covid-19 response and recovery, maritime law, climate change, sustainable economic development, and people-to-people exchanges.

On Tuesday, Pacific Island leaders visited the National Diet Building with officials from the Japanese government as part of the Japan-Pacific Islands Parliamentary Friendship League.

This was followed by a meeting and luncheon at the Capitol Hotel Tokyo.

The leaders also met with local governors from Japan to discuss various issues and common concerns between Japan and the Pacific Island countries.

A welcome reception was hosted by Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr. and Mrs. Hayashi to officially greet the leaders.

Cook Islands Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum Chair Mark Brow is also the Co-Chair of PALM10. He delivered the keynote address.

First held in 1997, the PALM summit is a triennial event in Japan, except for the ninth summit, which was held online due to COVID-19.

The summit is the premier forum for mapping out and defining relations between the Pacific Island countries and Japan for the next three years.

PALM10 aligns itself with the seven priorities agreed upon by Pacific Island Forum leaders through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its implementing plan. The PALM 10 Declaration and joint action plan will focus on these areas of cooperation: regionalism, development, peace and security, economic growth, climate change and disaster risk reduction, ocean and the environment, and technology and connectivity.

Ahead of the three-day meeting, the Sasakawa Foundation Programme, which is organising the event, hosted a Pacific Islanders' week, featuring booths outside their office selling Pacific Island handicrafts and clothing.