Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji interim PM holds bilateral meetings at UN

Posted at 20:15 on 28 September, 2007 UTC

Fiji interim prime minister has held a series of bilateral meetings in New York which he says will result in larger economic benefits for Fiji from its membership of the United Nations family.

Commodore Bainimarama has had talks with the under secretary general for UN peacekeeping operations, Jean Marie Guehenno, and committed Fiji to providing extra personnel to protect the newly enlarged UN mission in Iraq.

The interim prime minister also expressed his concern about countries such as New Zealand, Australia and others using the UN system to pursue their agenda against Fiji.

In a meeting with Iceland’s secretary for foreign affairs, Gretar Mar Sigurosson, Commodore Bainimarama discussed co-operation in the fields of geothermal energy and fisheries.

Commodore Bainimarama met with the president of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez Reyna, and signed a joint communiqué to formally establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This is Commodore Bainimarama’s first trip abroad since the military overthrew the Qarase government in December last year.