By Lucy Craymer and Kirsty Needham

WELLINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - New Zealand Undercoat Gover** minister Ja**da Ardern aforesaid on Thursday regional **puter architecture so much as the Pacific Ocean Islands Forum was critical in resolving regional problems and topical a**hetic security issues should be resolved locally.

Leaders of the Peaceable Islands Meeting place countries f**ather in Republic of Fiji following calendar week for an one-year get together at a clock of ontogeny occupy in more or less countries nigh China's influence, highlighted this year by a surety accord with the Solomon Islands.

"New Zealand is **itted to the Pacific Islands Forum as the vehicle for addressing regional challenges," Ardern aforesaid in a delivery to the Lowy Institute cerebrate armored **bat vehicle in Australia.

"We have a strong **itment to supporting broader ambitions for our regions security," she aforementioned.

"Importantly we see local security challenges being resolved locally, with Pacific Islands Forum Members' security being addressed first and foremost by the Forum family."

China's maturation carry in the Pacific and the electric potential for militarisation in the region's pocket-size island nations has spread-out **cern, in particular in Australia and New Zealand as fountainhead as their partner, the United States.

China, following on from its accord with the Solomon Islands, has been pushful for pagar minimalis beton a regional co-surgical process dispense with nigh a xii Pacifi**ations on poli**g, protection and data **unications.

As Ardern was speaking in Australia, her political science proclaimed a recapitulation of defense policy, scheme and planned i**ment, in persona because of an "intensification of geo-strategic **petition".

Ardern said that though Pacific Ocean co-surgery should be wrought by versatile agreements in localize and regional groupings, that did non tight that others would non make an interest in engaging with the part.

"It would be wrong to characterise this engagement, including that of China, as new. It would also be wrong to position the Pacific in such a way that they have to `pick sides'," she aforementioned.

Fresh Zealand Diplomatic minister of Defe**eam Peeni Henare, in announ**g the defense review, aforesaid the subject field worked every day with allies to protect security and stableness in the realm.

"The importance of this review is paramount so that we ** make sure future i**ments are fit for purpose in a post COVID-19 enviro**, a Pacific region grappling with climate change and the intensification of strategic **petition, and a world which is seeing a brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia," Henare aforesaid.

Foreign ministers of the Pacific Islands Assembly are owed to touch in Fiji on Fri only the ministers from both Australia and New Zealand volition non be able to attend to.

Australia**raneous Curate Penny Wong volition be at a G20 meeting in Indonesia spell Re**tly Zealand's Nanaia Mahuta has COVID-19, their offices said, adding that other upper side officials would pay heed instead.

(Coverage by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Henry M. Robert Birsel)