Wellington: New Zealand announced a thaw in frosty relations with Fiji today, saying fresh diplomatic postings were planned in each country after a series of expulsions that followed the Fijian military's seizure of power in a 2006 coup.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully did not give any time frame for the full restoration of relations between the countries, and said the diplomatic upgrade did not
change his government's strong condemnation of Fiji's military rule.
Military leader Frank Bainimarama seized control in 2006, ousting the elected government led by Laisenia Qarase.
His government moved to consolidate power over the past year, overthrowing the constitution in April, dismissing judges and imposing strict military censorship on the country's news media.
New Zealand has been one of the key critics of Bainimarama's rule, and Fiji has expelled three senior New Zealand diplomats, including its mission head, in the past 18 months, sparking the tit-for-tat expulsion of Fiji's head of mission last August.
Currently, neither country's mission has a head or deputy.
McCully said each country would appoint a senior diplomat shortly, with deputy heads of mission also likely to be reappointed in each capital within months.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 15:45