Rabuka will 'reunite' the Pacific

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has declared he intends to "reunite" the Pacific region as he prepares for his first official state visit to Kiribati this week.

Rabuka is scheduled to head to Tarawa on Friday to meet with President Taneti Maamau for bilateral discussions.

According to the Fijian government, Rabuka wants to "find a way to bring Kiribati back" to the Pacific Islands Forum and "nurture regional solidarity".

Kiribati withdrew its membership from the regional body in July last year over concerns the Forum was not meeting the needs of the Micronesian subregion.