21 Jul 2004

Nauru seeks Forum sympathy and help

4:10 pm on 21 July 2004

The new Speaker of the Nauru Parliament says he has told Pacific Islands Forum countries that Nauru needs their sympathy and whatever help they can provide.

Russell Kun, newly appointed as Nauru's Speaker, was commenting on the just-ended three-day visit to Nauru of parliamentarians from other Forum countries.

Mr Kun, a former Justice Minister, would not say whether Nauru had made an official request during the visit for help to overcome serious financial and other problems.

But he said he'd made it clear to the visiting delegation that Nauru, which in its glory days had been free with help for its neighbours, now needed a hand up itself.

"Let's put it this way: Nauru at this stage cannot do things alone. We cannot go at it alone anymore. We need support in any way. That's what I mean when [I say] we should be looked at sympathetically now."

Nauru's Speaker Russell Kun.