27 Sep 2010

Fiji kept in the dark over Melanesian Spearhead Group discussions - government official

4:48 pm on 27 September 2010

Fiji says it still has not had any word on its chairing of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Fiji was due to take over as chair, when Vanuatu Prime Minister, Edward Natapei, called off the MSG Leaders Summit due to be held in Fiji two months ago.

Fiji's Foreign Affairs permanent secretary, Solo Mara, has told FBC News that officials are still waiting for Mr Natapei, who remains the chair, to convene a meeting to discuss the issue.

An MSG Eminent Persons Group visited the country recently but reportedly went home without meeting any Fiji officials.

Solo Mara says everyone the group wanted to meet was out of the country, and had there been proper consultation, it would have known that.

The MSG had said earlier that Fiji had suspended itself from the agency's discussions on the leadership issue.