The Georgian Government will never allow a third party to come in between its relations with Fiji

We don't need a third party to deal with Fiji'

Oct 06|08:43 am

The Georgian Government will never allow a third party to come in between its relations with Fiji, says the Georgian Foreign Affairs Minister His Excellency Grigol Vashadze.

He made the comments during a press conference following his meeting with the Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama in Suva today.

Mr Vashadze, who is in the country, said Georgia did not believe in third party dealings in its bilateral relations.

He arrived into Fiji on Monday following a series of meetings with senior government officers in the United States of America and New Zealand.

“It’s Georgia’s fundamental principle to deal with our bilateral friends on a one to one basis and we are not involving our ideas and relationships with a third country,” Mr Vashadze said.

New Zealand and Australia have been consistently trying to lobby against Fiji but Mr Vashadze said that was not for Georgia to determine and they would not come into talks with a pre-conceived mind.

He wished not to divulge further saying he would leave it at that but noted that Georgia’s interest with Fiji were based on the desire to develop bilateral relations in accordance with the fundamental norms and principles of the United Nations, including principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.

Mr Vashadze said no other country could come between the Fiji – Georgia relationship.

“Since establishing diplomatic relations last year, I think we have been having an outstanding relationship,” he said.