Dr. Roman Grynberg was director until last week and will now take a senior economic position with the government of Botswana in Africa.
Grynberg’s told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program Australia has refused to fund a position for a chief trade negotiator for the Pacific Island countries leaving the region at a severe disadvantage.
Grynberg said decisions like that are damaging Australia’s standing in the Pacific.
“I’ve always been supportive of a genuine, development agreement that provides assistance and brings all of the islands on board, not an integration with Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
“Pushing them into something that is going to breed bitterness in the longer term, that’s not an answer and that’s what they’re doing now.”
