Pacific Islands Forum

Minister Vohor is facing serious criminal charges in the bribery case where 18 MPs are defendants.

Justice Sey issued the direction upon the defendants request through his lawyer advising the minister will not be present when the court convenes, as Vohor will be overseas on official duty.

But Justice Sey ordered Vohor and the 17 defendants to refrain from travelling abroad, as well as attend all court sessions in the two weeks sitting and to be punctual.

Six political party presidents will stand trial as Supreme convenes the bribery case hearing in September.

Speaking during a press conference held after the meeting PM Sogavare thanked everyone who turned up for the high level talk, while warmly welcoming the presence of the New Zealand delegation into the country.

Sogavare reiterated on the historical friendship of both countries, which has been in existence for 37 years now since Solomon Islands gained independence.

A Fiji Government delegation attended the Forum's Officials Committee meeting which has been setting the agenda for the leaders' summit next month in Papua New Guinea.

Fiji was suspended from the Forum in 2009 for refusing to return to democracy.

Last year it was re-admitted after the elections but the Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has been stressing he will not attend the summit in Port Moresby.

FBC News reports the roving Pacific Ambassador Litia Mawi saying the re-engagement is strategic to ensure Fiji's position on regional issues is heard.

They will urge governments to take leadership and to allocate adequate resources to combat the increasing burden of the cancer in the region.

Forum officials have put the matter forward as one of the five priority issues for discussion in the September summit.

The Internation Agency for Research on Cancer says some Melanesian countries have incidence levels among the highest in the world.

The death rate from cervical cancer in Papua New Guinea is 12 times that in Australia