Papua New Guinea's prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, says Fiji's Melanesian neighbours will work to end Australia and New Zealand's opposition to Fiji's military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama's regime.
Following a regional leaders' meeting at the weekend in Fiji, Sir Michael said Australia and New Zealand should stop shunning Commodore Bainimarama.
The Melanesian Spearhead Group has urged a more conciliatory line, although they agreed to Fiji's suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum for reneging on a promise to relinquish power by holding elections in March of this year.
Sir Michael says the economy is picking up and Fiji is like any other democratic country.
Last month, Commodore Bainimarama justified his 2006 coup when he told the United Nations in New York that he had to remove the elected government because it was using terror to push a racist and corrupt agenda.
