Fiji (Hansard, 10 January 2002)

§ The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group discussed developments in Fiji at its meeting in London on 20 December. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State represented the United Kingdom. The group welcomed the holding of broadly free and fair elections in Fiji in August and September 2001. In recognition of this and the fact that the Fiji Government were now addressing the current uncertainty over their own constitutionality in a responsible manner, the group decided that the conditions were now right to readmit Fiji to the councils of the Commonwealth. However, in view of the remaining uncertainty over the government's constitutionality, the group also decided that Fiji should remain on its agenda and that the Secretary General's Special Envoy, Justice Pius Langa of South Africa, should remain engaged.

In view of this, we decided on 20 December to lift the targeted package of measures that the then Minister of State, my honourable friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr Battle) announced on 21 July 2000. We will once again consider applications for funding for small projects from the Fiji Government in the areas of good governance, human rights, conflict prevention and the environment. We have also ended our blanket ban on joint military exercises and visits to Fiji by Royal Navy ships. Possible co-operation in this area will be considered on a case-by-case basis. And in keeping with national and EU criteria, we will continue not to issue export licences for military or security equipment where there is a clear risk that it will be used for internal repression. We will not hesitate to reimpose these measures, and even consider extending their scope, in the event that the Government of Fiji fail to meet their constitutional obligations to all of Fiji's citizens.