Fiji welcomes Australian Coalition support

17/08/2010

The  Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ratu Inoke Kubuaboa has welcomed the stance  taken by Australia's opposition Coalition parties to engage with  Fiji.

According  to Media reports, a Coalition government would open negotiations with the Fiji  Government and Prime Minister Commodore Bainimarama for electoral reform  as a way of breaking the current diplomatic standoff between Suva and  Canberra.

Ratu  Inoke said this is a positive indicator and Fiji is willing to engage with  countries who are genuinely interested in assisting Fiji with the reforms  before elections in 2014.

Opposition  spokeswoman on Foreign Affairs, Ms Julie Bishop pledged to improve relations  with allies and regional partners, repair damaged relations with China, India,  Indonesia and East Timor and appoint a junior minister to oversee foreign  aid.

Ratu  Inoke  said  Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith’s Policy  towards Fiji has proven to be disastrous.

He  was responding  to recent comments made by Mr. Smith  who said “ if  Labor wins the election the government will continue to pressure Bainimarama  to honor his promise to hold democratic elections in 2014.”

Ratu  Inoke said "here is a Foreign Minister who under his watch has seen two   Australian  High Commissioners expelled from Fiji because of Smith's  "interference policy" in the sovereignty of Fiji".

Ratu  Inoke said comments  by Mr. Smith as  “ We do not want to do things  to hurt the people of Fiji, which is why  we don’t have trade sanctions  and bans  is “double talk”.

He  had initiated travel bans;  stopped the MSG  meeting, continuously meddled into the internal affairs of Fiji  through  the Australian High Commissioners and suspended Fiji from  the Pacific  Islands Forum and Commonwealth.

He went to the extent of  calling for the withdrawal of Fiji  soldiers in International Peace Keeping Missions.

Ratu  Inoke said Stephen Smith  has used his  Foreign Policy to hurt the  economy and the people of Fiji but he has failed.

“ Mr.  Smith is  trying to hood wink the people of  Australia  just to  gain sympathy votes  following his  “Foreign Policy Disaster”.

“Fiji  has been sincere, transparent and open about what it has set out to achieve  in  it’s Roadmap  to return to Parliamentary Democracy, and we are  fully determined to seeing this through,” Ratu Inoke stated.
 
“It is only fair  that this  be honestly acknowledged by  Australia and not  through Smith’s Foreign policy agenda, he adds.