Tonga for the first time, attended the 2022 Korea International Cooperation Conference on Oceans and Fisheries (KICCOF), at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, Fiji, from 23-24 November.

The conference was aimed to strengthen the relationship between the Pacific Islands Countries and the Republic of Korea.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in Tonga reported that this was the first time Tonga had participated in the collaboration platform. Several other Pacific States, including Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Solomons, Nauru, Micronesia and Kiribati had previously attended. The conference was hosted by the Fiji Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and organized by Korea Maritime Institute.

Tongan representative

Taaniela Kula, Deputy Secretary for Ministry of Land, Survey, and Natural Disaster represented Tonga at the KICCOF 2022

He said the host Ministry had indicated collaboration through Official Development Assistance (ODA), to build up Marine Scientific Research, in assessment of submarine volcanoes, seabed mineral exploration, ocean thermal energy conversion.

“As well as, digitization and natural disaster response are all potential projects for development of concept proposals, in the next year for Tonga,” he said.