Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai'i at Manoa
SUVA, Fiji Islands (May 22, 2000 - Fiji Times/PINA Nius Online)---The signing
of the Suva Convention, the successor agreement
to the Lomé Convention, will be reviewed.
The European Union (EU) said developments will be monitored closely regarding
the scheduled signing.
"These arrangements will also be reviewed in the light of developments
in Fiji, it being understood that democracy to us is an
essential component of the agreement," EU said.
The Lomé Convention has allowed Fiji, like many African, Caribbean and
Pacific (ACP) countries, preferential trade deals. Fiji has
benefited by selling sugar at an inflated price rate.
Both the business community and the Government had been looking forward to the
ACP/EU meetings and the agreement signing
next month.
Fiji would have played host to about 600 delegates, who would have included
heads of state and prime ministers.
In a joint press conference last Sunday by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tupeni
Baba and business community representatives, both
were confident of the many benefits the country would have received.
But the European Union said yesterday it would review arrangements already set
down for the June 8th signing at the Civic
Centre.
The coup, led by George Speight, has effectively stopped the refurbishment work
done at Suva's Civic Centre, plans of
infrastructure improvements and bookings of all Nadi hotels, where reservations
for some 600 delegates had been made.
The improvements would have been partly funded by the EU.
"The EU condemns the use of armed force against a democratically-elected
leader and the reported violence which has taken place
in Suva and elsewhere in Fiji," an EU statement said.
"The EU considers it totally unacceptable the taking of hostages including
Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and the
Government."
Fiji Chamber of Commerce President Natwarlal Vagh said he did not want to comment
specifically on the benefits the business
community could have reaped from the signing of the scheduled Suva Convention.
Mr. Vagh did say, however, the coup would be detrimental to the economy but
its extend would only be established after shop
owners determined their loss.
This text may have been edited to protect the writer.
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