The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation says its participation at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders Summit next week will help elevate the status of its cause.
The summit's hosts, New Caledonia's pro-independent FLNKS Movement, extended the first ever official invitation to West Papua to attend an MSG summit as an independent entity.
Indonesia has observor status at the MSG summit.
At the Noumea summit, MSG leaders are expected to decide on a formal membership bid by the Coalition.
A spokesman for the coalition, Andy Ayamiseba, says the invitation marks a breakthrough in the struggle for West Papuan independence from Indonesia.
"It definitely will elevate the status of the struggle and by having support from our immediate region we could go international because the international community will see that yes it is true the immediate region where West Papua is, has given their support."
Andy Ayamiseba.
