Pacific Islands trade ministers, who've just completed an annual summit in Vava'u in Tonga, remain at odds over funding for the Office of the Chief Trade Advisor.
Island nations want the advisor to help them with all their trade negotiations but New Zealand and Australia, which have provided initial funding for the office, say they will only continue to do so until September this year, and only for negotiations on the PACER Plus trade arrangements.
The ministers say when the office was established it was to assist the island countries on PACER Plus matters only, not to create a new international or regional organisation.
But they also say funding arrangements should not compromise the independence and integrity of advisor's operations and activities.
