A group of South Pacific leaders was due to travel to the beautiful island of Aitutaki on Thursday ahead of a meeting to discuss climate change and other regional concerns.

President Joe Biden is set to establish diplomatic relations Monday with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue, as his administration aims to show to Pacific Island leaders that's committed to increasing American presence in the region.

Pacific Island leaders have criticized rich countries for not doing enough to control climate change despite being responsible for much of the problem, and for profiting from loans provided to vulnerable nations to mitigate the effects.

Prime Minister Mark Brown said: “Every country in the world, at some stage, has had to deal with this matter of removing discriminatory laws that criminalize people. Our country is no exception.”

President Joe Biden has told visiting leaders from more than a dozen Pacific Island countries that the U.S. is committed to bolstering its presence in their region and becoming a more collaborative partner as they face the “existential threat” of climate change.