Vanuatu’s acting director general for foreign affairs, Kalfau Kaloris, revealed that the chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group in October 2008 did write to the leaders of the MSG informing them on the need to convene a special session of MSG Leaders Summit on Fiji.
“Basically so that Fiji can brief the MSG members of the latest political developments in Fiji and the impacts of these developments of the common interest of the MSG,” Kaloris said.
Kaloris added that the meeting will allow the leaders to consolidate their views and positions on issues likely to be discussed by the special session of the Forum leaders.
“Invitations went out but timing were not convenient up to December,” he said.
Kaloris confirmed the current Chairman for the Melanesian Spearhead Group is with Vanuatu after analyzing the outcomes of the special leaders forum that concluded in PNG and will inform MSG to meet in a special leaders meeting soon.
Equally in Port Vila, Director General for the MSG Secretariat in Vanuatu, Rima Ravusiro, confirmed to Daily Post that at this stage the MSG Leaders have not committed to anything yet saying that the Secretariat is awaiting a debriefing from a representative of the Foreign Affairs soon.
Vanuatu Daily Post was told last week that all eyes are on Vanuatu, who is currently being branded as the “political capital of Melanesia” hoping to get some answers of what stand Melanesia will take on the current issue.
But Kaloris said that the case of Fiji is in the process of normal procedures of such situations affecting MSG member countries saying that the issue is sensitive and will be discussed at the highest level.
He informed that at the moment, leaders of the MSG have digested the resolutions of the recent forum leaders meeting in Port Moresby.
“Normally the next step would be each nation’s own assessment on its national interest before the issue is brought before the table of leaders,” confirmed Kaloris.
He reaffirmed that the Chairman for the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Edward Natapei on his arrival back into the country this week did inform that Vanuatu will stand firm on the forum leaders decision and also indicated that Vanuatu will assess the situation carefully.
Kaloris said that at the next step is for leaders to convene a special leaders meeting and that is already in process.
He revealed that Melanesian leaders did try to arrange a special leaders meeting in the margins of the forum leaders meeting in Port Moresby but were not able to due to the position of one member country.
Kaloris the leaders will need to set an appropriate date noting the deadline given by the leaders decision in PNG recently.
He said Vanuatu in the recent meeting in Port Moresby did raise its concern on long term economic sanctions which may disturb existing bilateral relations between Fiji and Vanuatu.
According to other insiders in the Government, any long term sanctions would have to be analyzed carefully taking into account existing regional institutions that are based in Fiji such as the University of the South Pacific and the South Pacific Forum Secretariat based in Suva.
The onus is now on the leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to declare their stand.
