13 Sep 2011

Cooks call for Forum to revisit Fiji issue next year

6:46 pm on 13 September 2011

The Cook Islands Deputy Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen says the government should use its position as host of next year's Pacific Islands Forum to bring up the controversial issues of Fiji and French Polynesia.

The Cook Islands News reports Mr Rasmussen as saying Pacific Island countries should further consider bringing Fiji back into the Forum and should look at giving special status to French Polynesia.

He says the Cook Islands could benefit from stronger ties with Melanesia and he says stronger ties with Fiji are in the interest of many nations in the region.

Mr Rasmussen says, as Forum host, the government should use its own initiative and not be dictated to by Australia and New Zealand.