The Honourable Josaia V. Bainimarama, Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji;
Honourable Minister for Health and Medical Services of Fiji, Mr Jone Usamate;
Honourable Ministers of Health for Pacific Island Countries and Areas;
Director-General of the SPC, Dr Colin Tukuitonga;
Directors, Permanent Secretaries and Executive Officers of Health;
Distinguished representatives of partner agencies;
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good afternoon.
It is a special honour to have His Excellency the Prime Minister with us to celebrate the closure of this meeting.
I am pleased to be able to express my appreciation personally for the excellent work of our Fijian colleagues in organizing and carrying out this historic meeting.
When you search "Fijian hospitality" on Google, you get almost a quarter of a million results. Based on our experiences this week, that number is not high enough!
From the moment we got off the plane in Nadi, we have felt the warmth of your welcome. We have been treated like honoured guests, cared for every moment — from the field visit in your beautiful country to the attention to details in organizing the conference.
As you know, this year marked the 20th anniversary of the healthy islands vision for the development of Pacific communities.
Please let me take a moment to highlight some of the priorities you have set to ensure that future generations enjoy the rewards of this historic meeting.
We share many challenges. Going forward, I would like us to share more solutions that bring us closer to the healthy islands vision.
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, all of these solutions start with you, the Pacific ministers. Your strong leadership makes everything possible.
With the clear actions and timelines you have established, we are moving ahead with a strong tailwind.
On behalf of WHO, I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you and other development partners in putting these decisions into effect in your countries.
I wish you all a safe journey home.
Vanuinui vinaka e nomu volau.