Aust., N.Z. investors ‘welcome in Fiji’
NZPA-AAP Suva Australian and New Zealand investors were reassured yesterday that they would still be welcome in Fiji.
A Government House spokesman gave the reassurance in response to news media questions about statements attributed to the interim Goverment’s adviser on foreign affairs, the former Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, in an Australian television interview on Sunday. In the interview, on Channel Nine’s “Business Sunday” programme, he said relations between Fiji, and Australia and New Zealand had gone “out of the window” as far as he was concerned.
But Rata Mara, who left the country on Saturday to seek new trade and investment partners in South-East Asia, said Australia and New Zealand were not the only investors in the world. He also said the Australian and New Zealand High Commissioners in
Suva had fed “false” information to their Governments after the coup and “had not served their countries well.” The television interview was the main story on yesterday’s front pages of both Fiji daily newspapers, the “Times” and the “Sun.” In Canberra the Federal Government yesterday played down the comments.
A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Mr Bill Hayden, said he had no comment on Ratu Mara’s remarks.
However he rejected Ratu Mara’s assertion that Australia had not been served well by its High Commissioner in Suva, Mr John Piper.
Mr Hayden’s spokesman said the Government had every confidence in the High Commissioner and his staff.
“They’ve done a good job in difficult circumstances,” he said. Political observers in Suva said Ratu Mara, Prime Minister for nearly 17 years before his Alliance Party’s election defeat in April, had been incensed by reaction in Australia and New Zealand to the military coup in May that ousted the new Coalition Government.
The Australian High Commissioner, and his New Zealand counterpart, Mr Rod Gates, both had no comment yesterday on Ratu Mara’s remarks.
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Press, 28 July 1987, Page 8
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319Aust., N.Z. investors ‘welcome in Fiji’ Press, 28 July 1987, Page 8
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