Forum chair says Fiji not lost cause

Updated May 5, 2009 15:38:59

The chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Toke Talagi, says it will take some time before Fiji feels the full impact of its suspension from the regional body. Mr Talagi says the military regime will only begin to suffer the consequences when it is not invited to important events scheduled over the next 12 months. However, Mr Talagi does not believe that Fiji is a lost cause.

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Toke Talagi, Premier of Niue and chair of the Pacific Islands Forum

TALAGI: No, of course not. In my letter to the leaders, I've said to them and they have all responded positively about the fact that we need to continue with a Ministerial Contact Group and in that suggestion I also suggested to them that we expanded to include all foreign affairs ministers for forum island countries and they also all responded positively to that. So we are expecting the Ministerial Contact Group to meet as quickly as possible, so that they can go through. What in fact it means in Fiji, this is the first time we have ever done something like this to any country or to any regime if you wish and therefore we have got to tread carefully and make sure that we do it properly.

COUTTS: Meaning that you have got to find out what the fine details are of what exactly a suspension means, including whether the Forum Secretariat stays in Suva?

TALAGI: That's right. We have looked at the broad principles of what we want to do and the Forum Secretariat is working on those. We need to work through the finer details of this and also to make sure that we get it right before we start making any further announcements.

COUTTS: Now the Ministerial Contact Group will include all the Forum members. Will Fiji be represented there and have they shown any inclination or desire to be included?

TALAGI: No, I don't think Fiji will be included, however, the Ministerial Contact Group can meet with the Fiji regime if you wish at a meeting to be determined by them and the reasons why the contact group is meets is to go and meet with the Fijian Government.

COUTTS: And has Fiji shown any desire? I know prior to the suspension, Commodore Frank Bainimarama was reported to have said he wants to keep the dialogue open, particularly with the Commonwealth and the UN. Is that still the situation post-suspension?

TALAGI: Well, as far as I am concerned, yes. I was very, very happy indeed to ensure that we maintain our contact with Fiji. We can't not continue the dialogue. We must do that and this is part of the reasons why it has been suggested that the Ministerial Contact Group be expanded, that they meet with Fiji as soon as possible.

COUTTS: And so the perimeters are still the same, elections as early as possible before the suspension will be lifted?

TALAGI: Well, the perimeters are still the same, except that on this occasion they will be talking about the finer points of suspension and so on.

COUTTS: And are additional sanctions being talked about?

TALAGI: The suspensions are in fact sanctions in all but name.

COUTTS: What about getting someone that can negotiate with Fiji? We've seen the Commonwealth and the UN struggle to find someone that the regime finds acceptable. We now see in the media today that Owen Glenn, a New Zealand billionaire offering his services as a negotiator. He lives on one of the small islands off Fiji. Is someone like that a possibility?

TALAGI: I would be happy to talk to anybody who might be interested in doing this, but you know it's a question of credibility and it's also a question of us making sure that all the countries are comfortable with it. So if anybody wishes to make contact, we certainly would consider that. Let me say that I have read somewhere that the non-government organisations are concerned. We will continue to engage and involve them in forum matters, in forum meetings and so on.

COUTTS: From the Fiji side of it, from reading what's going on, and because the suspension has been talked about for a long time now, months in fact, it seems to be business as usual and that they are trying to claim that it doesn't have any real impact on them at that end in Fiji at all?

TALAGI: Well, it's unlikely to have any real impact immediately. These things take time and these things will occur as the occasions arise. I'm surprised in fact that they should ever think that suddenly something is going to happen quickly. They don't happen like that and this is part of part perhaps of the naivety that these people have, with respect to these type of diplomatic issues and matters.

COUTTS: And so will the Forum Secretariat or the forum body, yourself being the chair make any approach to Commodore Bainimarama or the leadership group in Fiji to try and get them to come to the negotiating table?

TALAGI: That's what we're trying to do at the present moment, but those meetings will be between the interim regime and the Ministerial Contact Group.