The fear of losing sovereignty among the Pacific's smaller island states is the greatest barrier to a Pacific common market.
This was the view presented by the Pacific Community's director general, Colin Tukuitonga, last week in a speech at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Dr Tukuitonga says free trade agreements can benefit smaller nations, however a region-wide common market akin to Europe may favour larger, more powerful countries like Fiji and Papua New Guinea
Dr Tukuitonga spoke with Dominic Godfrey who asked about the renewed interest in the region from Australia and New Zealand.
Colin Tukuitonga Photo: Twitter
