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The Sydney-based think tank, the Lowy Institute has declared Australia’s Fiji policy a failure. In a policy paper to be launched on 2 May, it suggests Australia build an international coalition, including non-traditional partners such as India and Indonesia, to help Fiji draw up a new constitution and hold elections, as promised in 2014. The new approach would start with confidence building and an easing of travel restrictions and, if the Fiji regime accepts the assistance, include a range of new initiatives to improve the relationship.
” Now Fiji has rejected Australia before. It’s rejected the (Pacific Islands) Forum but some of the countries it’s courting such as Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, even Papua New Guinea, could all bring something to the table here and I don’t think we have really trialed that. I think Australia needs to reach out to some of the countries that Fiji is indeed reaching out to who have something to offer Fiji in this transition to democracy,” said the Lowy Institute’s Melanesia Program Director, Jenny Hayward Jones, in an interview on Radio Australia
Source
Radio Australia
Image: FIJI GLOBAL COMMUNITY VOICES
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News category: Asia Pacific.
