Wilkie tells of his Fiji mission
By Charles Pitt

Minister for Foreign Affairs Wilkie Rasmussen is to join Foreign Ministers from the other Forum countries in Fiji on Friday 10 November to discuss the situation in Fiji.
Rasmussen told the media on Friday afternoon that on Friday morning he received a call from the Forum Secretariat to meet with all Foreign Ministers of the region.
The meeting said Rasmussen was called under the Biketawa Declaration to get the views of Forum countries on developments in Fiji and for the Forum to establish a position under the declaration on the situation in Fiji.
The Biketawa Declaration was adopted at the 2000 Pacific Islands Forum in Kiribati. It mandates the Pacific Islands Forum countries to respond to issues of security at a regional level.
Rasmussen said he would meet and discuss the matter with Prime Minister Jim Marurai when the Prime Minister returns from Fiji Friday night.
NZ HELP
He said the New Zealand High Commission had been open with information he needed to know as Foreign Minister.
In the mean time as to the position of Cook Islanders in Fiji, Rasmussen said reports he had received were that everything was in order in case Cook Islanders needed to be evacuated from Fiji. He said two Cook Islands students at USP had passport problems but these have been fixed.
He said that discussions with the New Zealand High Commission in Fiji had resulted in a back up plan in the event of the situation worsening. Cook Islanders will be evacuated with the New Zealanders.
STEPS
Steps are being taken to ensure Cook Islanders are aware of developments in Fiji. Rasmussen said he is in touch with Cook Islands students in Nadi and Suva who are providing him with information and who are also liaising with other students.
He said so far two parents have requested that their children return home and this is being actioned. There were 19 Cook Islands students in Fiji and other students at the Theological College who held NZ passports as well as some Cook Islanders working in Fiji.

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