‘Closure of Brussels mission a wrong move’

THE Fijian Government should have considered the economic impact of having a foreign mission in Brussels before it made the decision to close it permanently, says former minister for foreign affairs and external trade Kaliopate Tavola.

He made this statement after receiving the 50th independence anniversary medal at the State House yesterday.

Mr Tavola said Brussels was significant to Fiji because it was the focal point of the EU.

The closure of this mission was announced by the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum during the announcement of the 2020-2021 National Budget in Parliament in July.

“It is proper for the country to be making assessments of what foreign missions it opens and wants closed,” Mr Tavola said.

“I spent 10 years of my life in Brussels and personally I think it is a very wrong decision looking at all the benefits that Fiji gets from the European Union.”

Having a mission in Brussels, Mr Tavola said, would benefit Fiji at national and regional level.

“If we look back at 1975, we have benefited immensely from the membership ACP and EU agreements. “I think the controversy comes into the office of what has happened.

“It is good to consider the economics of the various representations in overseas, but the problem comes into the choice, which one we open and which one we close.”

The Fijian Government has permanently closed our missions in Washington DC, Seoul, Port Moresby and Kuala Lumpur.