6 Jun 2016

New Zealand backs Fiji's UNGA presidency bid

11:31 am on 6 June 2016
New Zealand and Fiji foreign ministers,
Murray McCully and Ratu Inoke Kubuabola

New Zealand and Fiji foreign ministers, Murray McCully and Ratu Inoke Kubuabola Photo: supplied Fiji Department of Information

New Zealand says it is helping Fiji try to win the Presidency for the United Nations General Assembly, whose candidacy was launched in October.

The foreign minister, Murray McCully, was quoted by Fiji's department of information as saying that he would continue to rally support for Fiji, adding that he was happy to see the good progress with Fiji's bid.

Mr McCully met Fiji's foreign minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, in Nadi when he transited on his return from Tuvalu.

The two ministers also discussed this week's planned official visit to Suva by the New Zealand prime minister John Key - the first by a New Zealand prime minister this century.

Relations between the two countries suffered because of Fiji's coups, in particular after the one in 2006.

In 2007, Fiji expelled New Zealand's high commissioner for interfering in Fiji's domestic affairs and a year later, it also expelled the acting high commissioner.

Two months after Fiji's 2014 election, New Zealand reinstated its high commissioner.

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