Anchor: South Pacific leaders Wednesday wrapped up their annual summit with no major announcements but genral agreement to further integrate and develop their economies. Our correspondent Cheng Hao reports from Fiji:

Cheng Hao:

For three days, prime ministers from Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands rubbed shoulders at the Denarau Island resort - posing for photos together in floral shirts, sitting across from each other at meetings, and going to the same dinners and lunches. Yet the three managed to part ways with barely a word being exchanged between them. Disputes between the three nations dominated the annual meeting of the 16-member South Pacific Forum, overshadowing talks on economic development for the impoverished region and calls from low-lying states for more help to deal with rising sea levels.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard says he has chosen not to meet his Solomons and PNG counterparts personally because those matters are best dealt with in the context of the forum. But other member countries seem to have different views. Here' Chairman of the Forum, Fijian Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase:

Meanwhile, Mr. Qarase says this year' summit is nothing but a success:

If there were any real achievements, it' be New Zealand' introduction of a seasonal work package to some countries in the region. While the Australian government is not considering any such labour mobility scheme, it is going ahead with its offer to set up technical colleges in the region, with Suva as the headquarters. Here' Laisenia Qarase again:

Canberra has recently stepped up warnings that the region is rent by corruption and poor governance that could stoke communal tensions and raise the prospect of failed states developing and becoming havens for terrorists and cross-border criminal activity. After a long debate, the forum endorsed the Australian-led mission should continue its work in the Solomons, but also agreed to set up a task force to review its operations.

But disputes aside, all leaders agree to boost economic growth and fully implement the one-year-old Pacific Plan, which aims to set up the roadmap for strengthening and deepening regional cooperation and integration. Fijian Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase: 

According to the joint Communiqué issued earlier, Greg Irwin has been re-appointed as the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum. And the 38th summit will be held next year in Tonga.

Cheng Hao, CRI News, Nadi, Fiji