"We Are On Track" - Fiji Foreign Affairs Minister

We Are On Track – Ratu Epeli

The Interim Government has been sincere, transparent and open about what it has set out to achieve and its Roadmap for Fiji’s return to Parliamentary Democracy.

These are the comments of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation & Civil Aviation, as he left for Auckland this morning. Ratu Epeli is accompanied by Mr. Ross Ligairi, PS Foreign Affairs, Mr. Pio Tikoduadua, PS Justice and Mr. Parmesh Chand, PS Prime Minister’s Office.

“We have been regularly briefing Suva based Diplomats and Heads of Regional and International organizations about the developments taking place at home and the progress we have been making. So the Auckland meeting is another opportunity for us to brief our Forum brethren on the progress we are making in honouring the commitments we have made to the regional and international community about Fiji’s return to Parliamentary Democracy.

We also have engaged closely with the international community in finding a way forward for true and sustainable democracy in Fiji. The meeting will also hear of the Commonwealth Initiative which really has been initiated at the invitation of Commodore Bainimarama, in close consultation with Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon and with funding and technical support from the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The Interim Government is also not opposed to other observer missions interested in visiting and finding out for themselves the on ground progress we are making in Fiji. This, however, needs to fit in with our timing and be in compliance with the procedures. We have already had the Forum Eminent Persons Group, the Commonwealth, the European Union as well as the UN Delegations visiting Fiji over the last fifteen months. The only delegation which we declined to accommodate and that was due to reasons of timing and “conflict of interest”, was the International Bar Association. We have already explained the reasons and I need not dwell on them in this instance. I am sure, given the appropriateness of timing, the International Bar Association will be most welcome to visit Fiji to undertake their own assessments.

Ratu Epeli said that they expect a good reception towards the Fiji situation at the meeting as we have been honest, open and transparent in what we have been doing here in taking our country forward.

ENDS

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