Claims that Aust/NZ tried to undermine PIDF

There are claims that Australia and New Zealand tried to undermine Fiji’s efforts to hold the first ever Pacific Islands Development Forum.

Sources have revealed to Fijivillage that Australia’s Defence Minister had allegedly said to the Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Xanana Gusmao not to attend the new Pacific Forum in Nadi earlier this week.

However, Gusmao attended the meeting and was the keynote speaker in the forum.

Fijian Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has told Radio NZ that Fiji knows that Australia and NZ was campaigning against the government and were asking Pacific leaders not to attend the Pacific Islands Development Forum.

He said the leaders told the Fijian government about these attempts.

Questions have also been raised about the non-attendance of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill.

O’Neill had earlier assured Fiji during Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama’s visit to PNG that he would attend the forum.

O’Neill did not attend as he had a state visit to New Zealand this week.

A minister of O’Neill’s government, Charles Abel attended the forum and said that no one had tried to stop O’Neill from attending.

14 out of the 23 countries invited, attended the meeting. 

It has been hailed as a major success with work already underway for the setting up of the secretariat and the first side meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York next month. 

Meanwhile, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has also made it clear that high level diplomatic exchanges between Fiji and New Zealand will not happen until after the elections next year because he said NZ continues to campaign against Fiji.