Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama said he will not attend the Pacific Islands Forum unless the ball game changes in the forum.
Bainimarama has told Fijivillage this afternoon that Australia and New Zealand have to go out of the Forum.
He has made this comment as Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told The Australian that as the host of this year’s Pacific Islands Leaders Forum, he has written to invite Prime Minister Bainimarama to attend the meet.
O’Neill said Bainimarama has done the right thing in reinstating a democratic government, and there is no reason why he should not fully participate in the leader’s meeting.
Steven Ciobo, who was recently appointed Parliamentary Secretary to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and to Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, returned to Australia over the weekend from his first official visit to Suva, where he met Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.
Ciobo told The Australian that he had “expressed the view that Australia respectfully disagrees” with being levered out of the Pacific Islands Forum.
He said Australia holds the belief that ongoing dialogue is important, to which Fiji agrees.
Ciobo said Bishop has consistently stressed both the importance of the relationship with Fiji, and that Australia is a neighbour within the Pacific.
Meanwhile Foreign Minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has told Fijivillage that he made it very clear to Ciobo about Fiji's position regarding Pacific Islands Forum.
He stressed that Fiji would like to see changes and reforms first before considering returning to the Forum.
Kubuabola said one of the changes is for Australia and New Zealand to move out and be only a development partner.
