Australia's Foreign Minister, Senator Bob Carr is yet to comment on Fijian Foreign Minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola demanding that Fiji wants thorough regional consultations on the asylum seekers being taken to the Melanesian countries.
Fijivillage has sent questions to Canberra seeking an interview with Carr on the asylum seeker issue and the call made for Australia to treat Fiji as an equal.
We have also asked Carr on the Australian government's stance on Australia trying to stop Fiji from participating in further UN peacekeeping operations and stopping further loans from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
Ratu Inoke Kubuabola also said the travel bans that are still in place cannot be forgotten and have led to inconvenience and heartbreak and deprived Fiji of the ability to attract the best people to run the government departments and even serve on the boards of public enterprises and utilities.
Questions on Ratu Inoke's statement at the Australia Fiji Business Council Forum in Brisbane on Monday have been sent to the Australian High Commission in Fiji which has sent them to Canberra.
Fijivillage is now waiting for Carr's confirmation on whether he will speak to the people of Fiji.
Meanwhile Australia's Deputy Opposition Leader, Julie Bishop said it is now time to rebuild the bridges.
Bishop has made it clear that if their Coalition Government is elected at some stage this year, she commits to ensuring that normalising relations between Australia and Fiji is a priority of an incoming government.
Bishop encourages Fiji to hold elections as Commodore Bainimarama has promised in 2014.
She said the coalition welcomes and encourages that commitment.
Bishop said she would like to see, should the Coalition be elected the restoration of full diplomatic relations between Australia and Fiji.
She said she would like to see Fiji welcomed back into the Commonwealth, the Pacific Island Forum and other forums around the world.
Bishop also made a call in April last year for Australia's Foreign Minister, Bob Carr to use a trip to Fiji to reestablish relations with Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
Bishop said Senator Carr should use the Pacific Islands Forum Contact Group visit to change the course of Australian policy towards Commodore Bainimarama's government.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
