Samoa Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, will be inviting Fiji to join the Polynesian Leaders Group at next weeks Pacific Forum summit in Apia.
Samoa PM, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi Photo: RNZ Pacific / Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
In his weekly radio show he said Fijians from the Lau group are mostly Polynesians so it made sense to invite Fiji to be a member of the group or PLG.
Tuilaepa, who takes over as chair of the Forum next week, says there is room in the PLG constitution to allow Fiji to join.
He also wants to include Polynesians in Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island.
Some hapu (Māori subtribe) in New Zealand had made attempts to join the group in the past and Tuilaepa says he hopes the PLG will address these approaches as well.
The group currently has eight members - Tonga, Tokelau, Niue, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, American Samoa, Wallis & Futuna and Samoa.