Murray McCully

Wellington, May 28 NZPA - Pacific leaders and foreign ministers meet in Auckland on Monday to talk about returning Fiji to democracy.

The Pacific Islands Forum's ministerial contact group (MCG) of foreign ministers is mandated to monitor and report on the situation in Fiji.

Fiji has experienced four military coups since 1987 with the most recent in December 2006 putting Commodore Frank Bainimarama in power.

Last year he abrogated Fiji's constitution, subsequently announcing a timetable for constitutional change but no elections before 2014.

Fiji subsequently expelled the Australian and New Zealand high commissioners, with Australia and New Zealand retaliating with tit-for-tat expulsions.

Among those in the MCG expected to attend were prime ministers of Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu -- in their respective capacities as foreign minister -- and the foreign ministers of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Prime minister of Tonga Feleti Sevele is chairman of the group. The Tuvalu prime minister will be represented by his minister for home affairs and rural development.

At their 40th meeting in Cairns last August, in reaffirming their January 2009 Port Moresby retreat decisions on Fiji's suspension from the forum, leaders told the MCG to continue to monitor developments in Fiji and directed it to report back to leaders by the time of the 2010 forum meeting.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Fiji Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola had been invited.

"Forum members remain concerned to encourage progress back to constitutional government in Fiji. Monday's meeting is an important opportunity to assess developments since the group last met in Fiji in December 2008."

Following the Auckland meeting, the MCG chair will provide a report to the Pacific Islands forum chair for consideration by leaders at the 2010 forum meeting to be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from August 3-6.