Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says he will be on his first official visit to Australia next week and this is where he will be seeking common grounds on climate issues with the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.
Bainimarama highlighted this in Parliament when questioned by the Leader of Opposition, Sitiveni Rabuka to update Parliament on the outcome of the 50th Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting held in Tuvalu from the 13th to 16th of last month.
He says there is no secret that they did not find common grounds with Australia during this meeting.
Bainimarama says there is a considerable gap in approach and perspective between Australia and those of us in the highlands about the urgent need to phase out fossil fuel and coal in particular.
The Prime Minister says Fiji has struck a new regional partnership with Australia called the Vuvale partnership, which in his own view is that people in the same household are entitled to speak there mind when difference emerge between them.
Bainimarama says that the Aussies are our mates, and mates can be frank with each other without causing lasting offence.
Rabuka then questioned Bainimarama whether the Funafuti meeting would affect PACER Plus and the Prime Minister should use his official visit to Australia to continue to engage with respect with his Australian counterpart.
When further questioned by SODELPA President, Ro Filipe Tuisawau on what is Fiji doing with regards to the current stand off in West Papua, the Prime Minister says that is was decided in the Pacific Islands Forum that the matter of West Papua should be relegated to the sovereignty of Indonesia.
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