A Fijian academic says a recent announcement of climate aid from Japan may prompt a re-think from Australia and New Zealand.
At the PALM 7 meeting in Japan last week, the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, committed 453 million US dollars to help Pacific nations fight rising sea levels and natural disasters.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: AFP
Ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Papua New Guinea in September, Fiji is still adamant that it won't attend unless Australia and New Zealand agree to be donors, or members, but not both.
The Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury, Steven Ratuva, says Fiji is dealing directly with new donors and doesn't value the regional grouping.
"The Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Papua New Guinea is going to be interesting and Fiji is staying away from that meeting. The real political intent, the real political substance of the relationship between the three countries still hasn't shifted much, particularly when Fiji is demanding that Australia and New Zealand not be part of the Forum."