KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand and Australian military have in place contingency plans to evacuate citizens from Fiji with or without the Fijian Government's permission, Defence Minister Phil Goff said today.
Mr Goff met his Australian counterpart Joel Fitzgibbon in Wellington today, with Fiji high on their formal meeting's agenda.
Mr Goff told journalists afterwards that since the military coup in December 2006 both Australia and New Zealand defence forces had a joint plan to evacuate people if the security situation deteriorated and nationals of both countries were in danger.
"We don't expect the situation to deteriorate... but we would be remiss in our duty not have a plan in place in the event the situation did deteriorate," Mr Goff said.
The preferred option would be to get people out using commercial airlines, but the military would have to act if this was not possible.
"If however the airport at Nadi was closed then we would have to consider whether a military evacuation by air or by sea was necessary," Mr Goff said.
"We would work with what ever government was in place in Fiji to try to get their concurrence. If that was not possible then in the last instance, the lives and the well-being of our citizens would be paramount, and we would do it with or without that concurrence."
Mr Goff said neither country believed that a military option would be a solution to the political problems in Fiji.
Pacific leaders yesterday warned Fiji's unelected government it could be suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum if it did not meet its promise to hold elections by March next year.
Fiji has been ruled by self-appointed prime minister Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama since he staged a bloodless coup in December 2006.
Last year he promised forum leaders he would hold elections by March 2009, but in recent weeks he has gone back on his word, saying he first wants to change the country's electoral system.
Forum leaders yesterday said the situation in Fiji would continue to be monitored and a ministerial contact group would prepare a new report on election preparations before the end of the year.
When that report had been received there would be another forum summit meeting where measures, including suspension, would be considered, they said.
Cdre Bainimarama refused to attend the Niue meeting, claiming he had been denied the opportunity to hold post-summit talks in Auckland because of travel sanctions imposed by New Zealand.
Prime Minister Helen Clark has rejected his excuse.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday said that for the first time the forum had directly condemned Cdre Bainimarama's actions.
The forum was established in 1971 and no country has been suspended.
Fiji has been a key member and the organisation is based in Suva.
- NZPA
