Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said on Saturday he had a “wonderful meeting” with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who visited Fiji days after being sworn in to show the new government’s attention to the Pacific islands.”Fiji is not anyone’s home – we are part of the Pacific family,” Bainimarama wrote on Twitter, posting a picture of himself and Penny Wong shaking hands.
Scott Morrison, a former prime minister who was ousted in last weekend’s election, once called the Pacific the “court” of Australia, has been seen swearing in a veil.”What worries us the most is not geopolitics – climate change,” wrote Bainimarama. “In that spirit, I had a wonderful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs @SenatorWong to strengthen our Vuvale Partnership with Australia”, he said, using the Fijian word for “friendship”. In total, Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese was sworn in on Monday as Australia’s 31st prime minister, with Wong as foreign minister.
Wong and his Chinese counterparts presented a competitive Pacific tour on Thursday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed hope that Beijing’s relationship with the Solomon Islands could become a regional model, and Wong said Canberra would be a partner without the attached cables. China is seeking a tense 10-nation agreement on security and trade that has disrupted the United States and its Pacific allies, including Australia. Wang is expected to push for the agreement at a meeting on Monday in Fiji.Wong, during a visit to Fiji, warned of regional consequences for the Solomon Islands-China security agreement, after a Chinese minister said interference in the agreement would fail.
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