The Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, keeps a promise in Suva this week. She will attend the 21st Fiji Australia Business Council Forum that begins on Friday.

Ms Bishop’s attendance comes in the wake of a warming of relations between Canberra and Suva. Fiji Australia Business Council president and forum chairperson, Viliame Leqa, said yesterday:

“We thank her for keeping her promise. And this is what’s led up to this as the timing as we’ve said normally was the end of the year.

“It’s been quite an experience for us to put this together when Government was just formed.

“Our aim, through this facilitation, to make it work, because of the warming of relations.”

The lineup will be impressive.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will deliver the keynote address. Foreign Affairs Minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola will also be addressing the meeting.

Attorney-General, Minister for Finance, Public Service and Public Enterprise Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, it is hoped, will be back from Europe in time to attend.

The forum’s theme, ‘Fiji-Australia, Proud History-Promising Horizons’ will set the tone.

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