New Zealand has begun to rebuild its diplomatic relations with Fiji after a string of tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, but Foreign Minister Murray McCully has cautioned it will be process of "small steps".
Mr McCully announced yesterday that the Fijian and New Zealand Governments would begin to rebuild their diplomatic links by appointing a "counsellor" apiece and deputy heads of missions.
However, the agreement stops short of reinstating high commissioners - something Mr McCully said would not happen unless Australia was also involved and there were assurances the expulsions would not be repeated.
Since the coup in December 2006, Fiji's interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has expelled three New Zealand heads of mission from Suva, as well as those from Australia.
New Zealand retaliated in kind, leaving the diplomatic offices of both countries on skeleton staff.
The agreement follows months of talks, and a meeting in Nadi last weekend between Mr McCully and Fijian counterpart Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.
Mr McCully stressed the boosts to consular staff did not mean New Zealand was softening its stance on Fiji or reconsidering sanctions against those involved in the regime.
"But it does signal a determination to improve the relationship and, in particular, to be able to agree to disagree about some things."
The Fijian Government said in a statement on its website the foreign ministers had discussed several issues "in a positive and constructive atmosphere" and would remain in close contact.
Mr McCully said New Zealand would appoint an "appropriately senior" person to Fiji.
However, reinstating a high commissioner at this stage would be "discourteous" to Australia, whose high commissioners had also been ejected.
"I wouldn't want to get ahead of our Australian friends in that respect."
It had been discussed with the Fijian foreign minister.
"But I'd want to be quite sure that we would see such a person remain in place.
"We've had three come home and it would be a bit negligent of me to dispatch a high commissioner without making sure the conditions were in place to be reasonably confident the person would stay."
Mr McCully said the timing was unrelated to the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday.
He acknowledged her interest in it, as one of the new US Administration's aims was to build closer links with the Asia Pacific region.
• Australia had told New Zealand it would support any moves to re-establish diplomatic links with Fiji, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday.
- Claire Trevett of the New Zealand Herald.
