Wellington - Foreign ministers of six Pacific countries will go to Fiji next week for talks on the prospect of a new election, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced on Thursday.

Fiji has been ruled by the military since a bloodless coup in December 2006.
Fiji's military strongman Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama reportedly said he would welcome all the ministers despite boycotting a meeting of the Pacific Forum's joint working group on his country last month, accusing it of being dominated by Australia and New Zealand.

A government spokesman, Major Neumi Leweni, denied the Australian and New Zealand ministers had been blacklisted and told reporters in the capital Suva that Fiji would welcome them with open arms.

But he added, "Fiji doesn't have any problems with the two countries attending, but if their purpose is to criticise and downgrade the current government then that's a different story altogether."

Peters, who said he would go to Suva for the meeting on July 15-16 with his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith, said that the aim was to assist Fiji to return to democratic rule.

Others attending will be the foreign ministers of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

Peters said it was the first visit to Fiji by a group of Pacific Forum foreign ministers since the December 2006 coup when Bainimarama ousted the elected government of Laisenia Qarase, accusing it of corruption and inciting racial tension.

Bainimarama has reportedly cast doubts on whether he will stick to an earlier pledge to major aid donors, including the European Union, Australia and New Zealand, to hold free democratic elections in March. (dpa)