Fiji's interim leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has rejected any suggestion that his country will rejoin regional trade talks.
The New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, has called for Fiji to be re-engaged in the PACER Plus negotiations.
In his regular talk on Auckland Indian and Indo Fijian station, Radio Tarana, the Commodore said New Zealand had realised regional trade talks were meaningless without Fiji's involvement:
"We had decided earlier on that we will refrain from any talks on Pacer Plus, we will see how things go."
The Commodore said despite the overtures from New Zealand, it was up to Fiji to decide whether it would rejoin the Pacer negotiations.
Earlier, Fiji's Foreign Affairs minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, told Radio Fiji that PACER Plus was no longer a promising instrument of development and economic growth as it has been corrupted by regional politics.
He said Fiji was now concentrating on building its trade and economic ties with Asia and with the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement.
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