26 Jul 2010

Fiji's interim Government continues dispute with Vanuatu over deferred MSG summit

6:52 am on 26 July 2010

Fiji's interim Government says it is disappointed with statements from Vanuatu's Prime Minister, Edward Natapei, on the deferment of the 2010 MSG Summit.

Mr Natapei says the decision to defer the summit, over concerns of a non-elected leader chairing the grouping, was a collective decision involving Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia's FLNKS.

But Fiji's interim foreign minister, Ratu Inoke Kububola, says the Prime Ministers of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands gave their support in writing for Fiji to Chair the 2010 MSG meetings.

He says after the meeting was deferred, the Government was sent a second letter written by PNG's PM, Sir Michael Somare, to Mr Natapei, disputing his decision and calling his actions "un-Melanesian".