The Prime Minister, Commodore J V Bainimarama accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr Solo Mara and Fiji’s Ambassador to the EU, Mr Peceli Vocea met with the European Commission’s Director General for Development, Mr. Stefano Manservisi and his senior advisors.
The main objective of the informal meeting was to exchange views on major issues that will form the basis for resuming formal consultations under the provision of Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.
The meeting in Brussels was considered by both parties as fruitful and constructive, which Government believes has allowed each side to better understand each other.
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| PS Foreign Affairs Mr Solo Mara; PS Foreign Affairs; Mr Ola Sohlstrom (Swedish Presidency); Ambassador of Fiji to the EU Mr Peceli Vocea; Director General for Development Mr Stefano Manservisi; Prime Minister Commodore JV Bainimarama; Director (Pacific) Mr Roger Moore; Mr Ola Sohlstrom (Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola. |
Government believes that this informal meeting can now be taken to another level leading to the resumption of formal “consultations”, an objective of which is to review the Agreement signed in October 2007 between the European Union and Fiji on the political situation in Fiji.
The Prime Minister briefed the EC senior officials on the programs of institutional, judicial, constitutional and electoral reforms that are in place to begin in 2010 and in subsequent years and the reasons necessitating these reforms.
The EC acknowledged the immense spectrum of work to be undertaken by the Government in the areas of reforms itemized above and look forward to the resumption of the consultation process to discuss and identify where and how it can constructively engage in the reform agenda highlighted by Government in the next five years.
The Prime Minister assured the EC of the Government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law; the strengthening of the judiciary, respect for human rights and respect for democratic principles, which was evident in the decreeing of new legislations and the resurrection by decree of those essential elements of the abrogated constitution dealing with such matters.
The two sides also discussed issues pertaining to the Strategic Framework for Change, the National Dialogue Forum and the Public Emergency Regulation.
Senior EC and Fiji Government officials will now follow-up on the major outcomes of the discussion with the aim to ultimately resume formal consultations between the two sides.