The Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Yogesh Karan said Fiji will not interfere with Palau’s decision to close its embassy here.

This is after the island nation’s President, Surangel Whipps Jr, announced he is disappointed over former Cook Islands leader Henry Puna’s appointment as the secretary-general to the Pacific Islands Forum.

In doing so, Mr Whipps Jr’s first action was sending a note to Fiji to close down the embassy situated in the FNPF Plaza in Suva. This becomes effective on February 28, 2021.

“We wanted them to honour the gentleman’s agreement and the majority decided not to honour it so we have to take a different course,” he said.

For months the regional body has been divided over whose candidate should get the forum’s top job.

Micronesia had requested for their candidate to take up the role of secretary general of the forum.

Marshall islands was earmarked by the Micronesian States to have taken the top job.

The current Charge d’ Affairs of the Embassy of the Republic of Palau in Fiji is Jay D Lincoln.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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