14 Feb 2011

Pacific Island ministers to listen to Fiji's views at Port Vila meeting

4:00 pm on 14 February 2011

Pacific Island government ministers are expected to hear the Fiji military regime's views at a meeting in Vanuatu today.

The Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact group on Fiji has invited Fiji's interim government to make a presentation to the group at the one day meeting in Port Vila.

The Forum's secretariat says Fiji is being represented by the interim Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.

Ministers from New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tuvalu are there and the meeting's chaired by Vanuatu's Prime Minister Sato Kilman.

The group will discuss recent developments in Fiji in preparation for a report on the country to Forum leaders in September.

The ministers will also discuss Fiji's suspension from regional trade talks.

Fiji has been suspended from the Forum since 2009, over the regime's refusal to return the country to democracy.