27 Apr 2012

NZ foreign minister to visit Fiji next week

8:55 am on 27 April 2012

The New Zealand foreign minister Murray McCully says he will visit Fiji next week as part of the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group on Fiji.

Mr McCully says New Zealand as Forum Chair has placed high importance on the maintenance of dialogue and engagement with Fiji.

He has thanked the Fiji administration for agreeing to the visit which comes as Fiji moves towards an election process for polls promised for 2014.

Fiji was suspended from the Forum three years ago after the interim regime reneged on a 2007 promise to hold elections.

This week, Australia's foreign minister, Bob Carr, also announced he would visit Fiji on Monday.

Two years ago, a Contact Group visit was cancelled by the Fiji regime after it accused Forum leaders of not being serious about a dialogue with Fiji.