21 Jul 2009

New Zealand assures Tuvalu and Kiribati over Fiji link fears

10:58 am on 21 July 2009

The New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully, says he has assured Kiribati and Tuvalu short term help with transportation, should the Fiji situation pose a threat.

Both Tuvalu and Kiribati rely on links to Fiji which was suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum in May.

Mr McCully says he has met the two countries' leaders to allay possible concerns about supply links.

"New Zealand would obviously step in to make some short-term arrangements available and work on a longer-term programme to assist. In other words, we are not going to stand by and watch transport links to those two countries be threatened by developments in Fiji."

The New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully.