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No other country in the world has the courage or compassion like Fiji to come forward and help the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu.
Kiribati President Anote Tong publicly thanked the nation of Fiji in a speech at the Paris climate summit for agreeing to take in his people should the worst come to pass.
“It’s so heartening to hear that Fiji has undertaken to accommodate our people of Kiribati in the event that climate change renders our homes uninhabitable,” the president said.
Tong said he would continue to repeat this statement to the international community because they needed to hear it.
“Because it’s such a noble act from Fiji to help us,” Mr Tong said.
Tong said the Pacific region would have appreciated the support of its neighbours Australia and New Zealand.
“Australia and New Zealand continue to worry about their industries.
“We had our arguments in Port Moresby, we would have liked them to come to our assistance, especially at this international forum because we do that for them whenever they ask us to.
“We give them our support and this is perhaps the most critical issue in which we need the support of all of our friends, and even our enemies.”
At COP21 the prime minster of Fiji, Voreqe Bainimarama called on industrialised countries to act now and save small island states from disappearing.
“I have another message today – an invitation to those of you who think this is some distant threat to come to the Pacific and witness what I am about the tell you with your own eyes.”
“The nightmare scenario is already unfolding. And not only on low-lying coral atolls like the nations I have mentioned but on mountainous volcanic islands such as those in Fiji.”
“So we haven’t caused this crisis. The blame lies squarely with the industrialised and emerging nations.”
“Carbon emissions spewing from their factories. From the energy they burn. The cars they drive. The planes they travel in.”
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