Key’s visit to Fiji was a flop in every respect:
Key’s Fiji visit a ‘disaster’: Labour
…
At a state banquet, Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama criticised the New Zealand media and defended his banning of some journalists from Fiji, claiming they dispensed with facts. John Key asked Mr Bainimarama to reconsider the ban during the visit, and said they would have to agree to disagree.…Labour foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shearer, said the trip was a disaster. “It backfired completely,” he said.
“Frank Bainimarama used the opportunity of Key being there used the opportunity to lecture New Zealand on the way it treated Fiji. “He didn’t step back from the restrictions on media [or] the heavy-handedness within parliament. Mr Shearer said the government needed to keep pushing Fijian officials for a better democracy. …
On the attack on journalism, PMs ‘agree to disagree’ on journalism blacklist, no change. (Journalists are not impressed: TVNZ reporter, head of news hit back at Fijian Prime Minister over media blacklist.)
On diplomacy, PM asks Fiji to forgive and forget and back Helen Clark for UN job, didn’t happen.
Summing up, Tracy Watkins: Fiji PM Frank Bainimarama dashes John Key’s hopes of diplomatic wins, and Visit to Fiji lacked concrete gains.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Key’s diplomatic skills then.
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress