The assurances were given at Tuesday’s special Forum meeting here in the PNG capital to discuss a position on renegade member, Fiji.
Small Forum members Kiribati and Tuvalu especially were disturbed about the likely impact of Fiji’s suspension on their economies, given their heavy reliance on the bigger neighbor to the south.
Forum chairman and premier of Niue Toke Talagi said the two countries did express their reservations when Pacific leaders held their close door summit at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Port Moresby.
“This particular situation we face have never occurred in the Forum in the past and as you know there are countries that are vulnerable to some measures that could be taken and I’m not talking just about Fiji,” Talagi told journalists at the post Forum press conference.
“What I am assured about and pleased about is the fact we have all agreed that we will support those two countries if Fiji decides to take punitive measures against them for whatever reason,” he said.
“So I’m pleased to say that the Forum also discussed that issue and we all agreed that we will support them including Australia and New Zealand.”
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare said he also supported the decision taken by the Forum Leaders.
“I think we have made our position very clear. The Forum has agreed to take those steps and we will adhere to the Forum position,” Sir Michael said.
He also said that he was disappointed that Fiji military ruler Frank Bainimarama was unable to attend the Forum leaders meeting.
“I was disappointed but he gave his explanation why he could not be here and I think the Forum has taken into account the explanation of his attorney general,” Sir Michael said.
Leaders begun returning home after the one day summit in which they decided to give Fiji and its military leader an ultimatum to announce an election date by May 1 this year or face suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum.
That election date should be before the end of December 2009.
Suspension, they said, would mean non-attendance of Fiji to all Forum meetings and events.
Fiji will also be deemed ineligible to benefit from Forum initiatives including financial and technical assistance.
