Fiji digs its toes in over Forum despite suspension lifting
Fiji has reiterated it will not retake its seat at the Pacific Islands Forum unless Australia and New Zealand's role is reassessed.
Transcript
Fiji has reiterated it will not retake its seat at the Pacific Islands Forum unless Australia and New Zealand's role is reassessed.
The Forum's five-year suspension on Fiji was lifted late last week in recognition of the elections held last month.
The Director of the the Centre for International and Regional Affairs at the University of Fiji, Richard Herr, told Sally Round why Suva was digging in its toes over the issue.
RICHARD HERR: I think that they're putting out there that Fiji has had a number of complaints against the regional system as it is structured and that they felt that in some areas the Forum had been less than supportive in re-engaging with Fiji. The treatment of their candidate for the Secretary-General of the Forum Secretariat was regarded as unfortunate at the best and some feel it more keenly that it was an act of betrayal by some members. The fact that the review of the Pacific Plan went ahead without any real contribution from Fiji and whether the Forum was wise in persisting with its suspension at a time when the future of the Forum was being reviewed was probably not as helpful as might have been wise in the context of re-engaging with Fiji. So I think there were a number of those sorts of issues and of course its continuing belief that the regional system is too much dominated by Australia and New Zealand in this bi-focal way of having a role as members of the Forum but also, putting on a different lense, being the principal donors to fund the Forum.
SALLY ROUND: The Foreign Minister has said an alternative to kicking New Zealand and Australia out would be welcoming the US, Japan and China in as full member. Is that a kind of softening of Fiji's stance?
RH: I'm not sure because it seems to be that the solution to reducing external influence through the Forum is not going to be particularly well served by bringing more foreigners into the Forum. I think it's certainly making the point that they believe that there is less distinction between Australia and New Zealand's role in the region than there used to be. And that these other external interests have an equal interest in the region and its affairs, and this ought to be recognised if Australia, New Zealand are going to continue is part of that demarche about what they see as issues that have to be addressed.
SR: Is the Pacific Islands Forum really not likely to change its stance on this, could it entertain such discussions with Fiji?
RH: Well, I mean it could do. There's still the debate over how to implement the reform proposals that were put forward at the most recent Forum meeting. But again the extent to which Fiji feels that those were determined without its involvement and how much the Forum was willing to go back to basics to accommodate Fiji will I guess have to be seen.
SR: We've got Julie Bishop, the Australian Foreign Minister, coming this week to Suva. How do you think things will progress, will she be involved in discussions on this do you think?
RH: Well, I would be surprised if she wasn't given that a major part of the issue in terms of bilateral relationships with Australia hang on some of these regional relationships as well. So I'm sure that it will be canvassed, I would imagine there is more on the agenda than just the regional standing of Australia and the Forum and its relationship to Fiji Forum policy.
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