Pacific nations form taskforce to tackle fuel supply risks from Middle East conflict

The Pacific's chief diplomat has warned the region will "suffer" if fuel tankers stop arriving as foreign ministers set up a taskforce to deal with looming supply shocks caused by conflict in the Middle East.

Pacific nations are also preparing to issue a statement calling for an end to the Iran war as they grow increasingly frustrated and anxious about the risks to the global economy.

The Pacific has not yet faced fuel shortages due to the war, but Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) secretary-general Baron Waqa said it had already led to inflation spikes in the region and could have dire consequences if it hit supply.

"If the tankers are not coming, that's a problem. That will put us in a whole lot of bother," he said.

"That's why we need to work together. We need to make our voice stronger and louder as one."

On Friday Pacific foreign ministers held their first meeting since they officially triggered the Biketawa Declaration in response to the war.

Former Solomon Islands prime minister and PIF chair Jeremiah Manele, who caused confusion when he prematurely triggered the emergency declaration last month, floated the idea of Pacific nations creating a joint purchasing pool for fuel.

But Mr Waqa said it was too early for foreign ministers to discuss such ideas. He said the main focus was on securing existing supply chains and getting more information about the disruptions that might come if the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed.

The new "regional mechanism" taskforce will allow Pacific officials to get a clearer picture of the threats, with Australia and New Zealand funding audits of existing Pacific fuel stocks, as well as providing expert advice on future supply.

The ABC has been told that foreign minister Penny Wong warned the meeting that the region needed to be prepared for a "prolonged" crisis, even if the impact so far was on price rather than supply.

She also said Australia would keep on pressing major suppliers for the region to maintain steady supply to the Pacific.

"What we're facing is a prolonged energy shock that is increasing fuel and food prices, with the greatest impact felt by the most vulnerable," Senator Wong said in a statement.

"Australia is committed to being a responsible partner and working with Pacific Island countries to support our shared energy security."

PIF deputy secretary-general Esala Nayasi said the new PIF mechanism had a "broad" remit that could help Pacific nations coordinate collective action to secure fuel, such as Mr Manele's idea of a single buying bloc, if it was endorsed by Pacific governments down the track.

Mr Waqa also confirmed that Australia and New Zealand had been in talks with the US military about how it could help secure fuel supplies to the Pacific if the region had to grapple with shortages.

"That is a very critical part of the negotiations we need to have with the US," he said.

"Making sure that there are tankers to deliver and making sure we don't run out of fuel in the Pacific."

US Indo-Pacific Commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, discussed potential assistance to the Pacific during meetings with Australian officials in Canberra earlier this month, and told the Australian Strategic Policy Institute that the US navy could ship fuel around the region if other countries secured additional supplies.

Baron Waqa said the Pacific foreign ministers had also endorsed a new "appeal for peace", calling for an end to war in the Middle East, but said it would only be released after it was approved by all Pacific nations.