Fiji, March 25 -- Tonga's Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Finance, Kilisitina Tuaimei'api, opened the Special Forum Economic Officials Meeting (FEOM) Tuesday, with a call for unity in addressing the unprecedented economic and social challenges faced by the Blue Pacific.

Chairing the meeting, Tuaimei'api acknowledged the complexities of a turbulent global environment, from trade disruptions to escalating conflicts, which threaten the fragile economic progress made in the Pacific.

Despite the modest projected growth of 4 percent for 2025, largely driven by the slow recovery of tourism, the region remains highly vulnerable.

"Natural disasters-like the 2022 Hunga-Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption and last year's earthquake in Vanuat...