Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said Australia will allow an acting high commissioner in Canberra and a Fiji consul-general in Sydney.
“We indicated some time ago to the Fiji interim government that if we believe the Fiji interim government was making progress toward an election then we would respond by allowing Fiji to upgrade its diplomatic presence in Australia,” he said.
But he warns he remains skeptical about Fiji’s interim military government.
Smith said he has agreed to the appointments based on promises by Fiji to carry out fair elections next year.
“Does that cause me to in any way move away from the skepticism that I have about the intentions of the government — the interim government? No, it doesn’t. I remain very skeptical,” he said.
In other news, Fiji’s interim government has decided to support a visit by a delegation of program makers and officials from the Australian Broadcasting Corp., Radio Australia’s parent company.
Last week, the group was informed that Fiji would not support the visit, and visas to enter Fiji would not be issued to the seven-member team — stopping them from reporting in the country and also holding audience feedback sessions.
But the director of ABC international, Murray Green, said he was informed Monday that Fiji had decided to allow it.
“I heard this morning from the Fijian High Commission in Canberra,” he said. “I think we had ongoing discussions, I think those discussions have been fruitful and I’m very grateful we’re able to visit Fiji.”
The group arrives in Fiji on July 11 and will then travel to American Samoa.
