Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has apologised to people who escaped Fiji to Canada after the 1987 and 2000 coups.
In a speech in Canada at the weekend he said he wanted to say sorry to those who suffered and invited them to return and invest in Fiji.
The prime minister said the brain drain from Fiji was tragic and robbed Fiji of decades of development.
Frank Bainimarama Photo: Republika
He was speaking to local dignitaries and Fiji community members at an early celebration of Fiji's National Day in Surrey, British Columbia
Mr Bainimarama says a lot of pain was inflicted on citizens of Fiji because "certain selfish elements said they didn't belong."
He said mutliple citizenship was now allowed and he urged Fijian Canadians to reconnect with Fiji which has a transformed investment climate and growing economy.