Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Tonga PM says Fiji needs to listen to outside

Posted at 07:17 on 18 May, 2009 UTC

Tonga’s Prime Minister says that Fiji’s military rulers will have to listen to the international community sooner or later if they are to move their country forward.

Feleti Sevele says a fresh approach is needed by the region to engaging with Fiji’s military government, following the interim regime’s suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum.

Dr Sevele says decisions taken on Fiji by Forum leaders at their last two meetings were judged at the time to be the right moves to make.

He admits that since then, Fiji has gone in the opposite direction to where the Forum wants it to go, but says the two sides will need to find a balance...

“Fiji needs the international community. Fiji needs the Forum... perhaps more than the Forum needs Fiji. But the Forum still needs Fiji. So let’s perhaps give it a pause, stand back... in time of course Fiji has got to listen to the international community. It’s a two-way affair.”

Tonga’s Prime Minister Feleti Sevele.