Forum ministers visit proposed for Nov

The Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group may visit Fiji again in November.

This was discussed when Fiji's Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola met his counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, Senator Bob Carr and Murray McCully, in New York yesterday. They are attending the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The ministers discussed the implementation of the outcomes from their meeting in Sydney on July 30, including progress towards the exchange of High Commissioners.

A joint statement released by the three countries said the ministers discussed the progress in the electronic voter registration, and in the work of the Constitutional Commission.

 They discussed the more flexible implementation of sanctions on a case-by-case basis by Australia and New Zealand, as agreed at the last trilateral meeting.

 The trio also discussed the early departure of the ILO mission to Fiji last week and the importance of an early return of the mission to Fiji.

The ministers reaffirmed their intention to continue to consult closely on progress towards elections in Fiji in 2014 and to work together to support Fiji's return to democracy.

By Reginald Chandar