Solomon Islands loses opportunity to host Pan Pipe music festival

Solomon Islands has lost an opportunity to host a multi-million dollar Festival of Pan Pipe music festival proposed for 2008.

Advocate of the festival working as a volunteer Peter Keelan says the lost opportunity comes from the lack of a written letter of support from the Solomon Islands government.

"A decision was made some months ago that before I leave Solomon Islands, I would need to leave here with a number of support letters, the most important of which in fact crucial to which was the letter from Solomon Islands government saying that they accepted the offer to host the inaugural festival."

Mr Keelan says he's had several high level meetings with government officials to have the letter written and was told this would be available after a cabinet meeting last Thursday.

But Mr Keelan says there was no meeting on Thursday and Friday.

He says the festival would have projected a positive image of Solomon Islands after all the negative stories the world has been hearing about the country.

Mr Keelan says Bolivia in South America will be given the chance to host this inaugural festival in 2009.

He left Solomon Islands yesterday.

Source: SIBC