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.