Fiji, July 23 -- Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa has warned that regional economies face mounting global pressures and urged Forum Economic Ministers to double down on cooperation to safeguard the Pacific's future.

"This has been an unusual but nevertheless very important year for the FEMM," Waqa said in his welcome remarks at the second Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) Tuesday.

"As Ministers will recall, there was a Special FEMM held in March this year specifically to endorse the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) Treaty and to approve the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development (PRED)."

Waqa confirmed that the PRED is now officially being implemented and will be formally launched during the meeting.

"PRED ...