Yauvoli, Excellent Choice for Fijian Ambassador to US
The appointment of Amena Yauvoli as our new Amabassador to the United States based in Washington is an excellent one.
He replaces Solo Mara who faces charges brought out by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) on alleged offences linked to his time in office in Washington.
Mr Yauvoli is a former Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and former head of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. He has the right credentials to fill an important vacant post.
His predecessors will tell him that this is a challenging mission because of the huge size of the United States in terms of area, population and economy. Mr Yauvoli already knows that from his time as permanent secretary and is fully aware of
What’s expected of all Fijian diplomatic missions.
Now that Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is back as Foreign Affairs Minister these missions must be prepared to show a return for the investment in having missions in foreign countries.
Washington is one of seven resident embassies and six resident high commissions. The rest are in Canberra (Australia), Brussels (Belgium), Beijing (China), New Delhi (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Wellington (New Zealand), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Abu Dhabi, London (United Kingdom). In addition there are more than 30 consulates.
These diplomatic missions are there not just to show our presence but to build relations and promote trade and economic ties.
We have come a long way since we established diplomatic relations with the US in 1971, a year after Fiji gained Independence from Britain. While there is considerable pressure on these missions to perform to justify their existence in terms of cost and benefits, there are several reasons why we should maintain the Washington office. Since American soldiers were based here during the second World War our relations have traditionally been good, interrupted by the coups.
In geopolitics, Fiji is an important and valuable ally in this region given its strategic location and profile as an economic hub with its technological and intellectual capacity. Defence and security are top of the priority list. All the American interests depend on them. US Department of State records show that Fiji receives Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to equip its military and participates in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) programme. It sends Fijian officers and senior enlisted personnel to professional military education and leadership development courses in the US.
The US also contributes the US Coast Guard and US Navy air assets to the regional Forum Fisheries Agencies (FFA) operations. They help Fiji protect earnings from fishing licences in the country’s exclusive 200 kilometre economic zone (EEZ). Last year Fiji signed a shiprider agreement with the US and has hosted Fijian shipriders on patrol on US Navy and Coast Guard vessels. Fiji is also a regular participant in US Indo-Pacific Command sponsored workshops on topics including humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, maritime security, peacekeeping and international humanitarian law. Fiji contributes troops to the US sponsored Multi-National Observer Force in the Sinai.
On bilateral economic relations, the US is among Fiji’s principal trading partners. We export to the US bottled water, tuna and sugar and import machinery, transport equipment and food. But we still do not have a bilateral investment agreement. Mr Yauvoli can do some groundwork there, among his other tasks.
His work is cut out and another area that he can tap into is tourism.
Mr Yauvoli is the right person for the job.