Leaders and officials of Pacific Islands countries pose at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau, September 2, 2026. Solomon Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs Rick Houenipwela, standing fourth from the left, was a last minute substitution for Wale, who had returned to Honiara.
Credit: Charley Piringi for RFA
Leaders and officials of Pacific Islands countries pose at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau, September 2, 2026. Solomon Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs Rick Houenipwela, standing fourth from the left, was a last minute substitution for Wale, who had returned to Honiara.