New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully has denied instructing any of his officials to lobby Pacific countries not to attend last week’s Pacific Islands Development Forum in Fiji.
Fiji’s Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said Australia and New Zealand lobbied behind the scene in an effort to discourage the event, which was attended by 14 out of the 23 invited countries.
In an interview with Radio NZ, McCully denied the accusations from his Fijian counterpart.
McCully also said the NZ High Commissioner to Fiji will only be appointed once Australia’s representative is accepted.
He said there was an agreement last year between the countries to exchange high commissioners, after Australia’s and New Zealand’s representatives were expelled for what Fiji called interfering with domestic issues.
McCully said its Fiji’s call when the new high commissioner would be accepted.
Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said last week there would be no exchange until after the election in September 2014.
Meanwhile, McCully said Australia and New Zealand are part of the Pacific and important relatives to Pacific nations.
Murray McCully, who is on a Melanesian tour, said greater harmony is needed between the countries and next year’s election in Fiji will be an important juncture.
However, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has made it clear that Fiji, which has been suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum, is in no hurry to rejoin the Forum.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
