The Prime Minister of Samoa, HE Tuilaepa Sailele, welcomed the Ministers of Maritime Transport to the regional meeting in Samoa and expressed profound delight at Samoa hosting the first Regional Maritime Ministerial Meeting since 1995. Despite Samoa’s full preoccupation with preparations for the South Pacific Games in Apia in August this year, all available resources were made available in honor of the Samoan Government’s commitment to the regional maritime meeting.

Prime Minister of Samoa, HE Tuilaepa Sailele, opens the meeting

The events of 16 November 2006 possibly constituted Tonga’s darkest day in its recent history. Those who actually saw the main town centre being looted and burned down by rioters must still be wondering what happened to the Friendly Islands capital. In the port of Nuku’alofa at the time, was the 196 metre long and 43,188 gross tonnage passenger cruise liner “The World”.

Staff of the Regional Maritime Programme (RMP) recently provided a series of guest lectures to marine studies students at The University of the South Pacific (USP).