Pacific Islands Forum lifts Fiji ban

Suva (Fiji) (AFP) - The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) announced Friday the lifting of Fiji's suspension from the regional body following the island nation's return to democracy last month.

"Forum leaders were unanimous in their decision to lift Fiji?s suspension," PIF chairman Tommy Remengesau said in a statement.

Fiji was suspended from the 16-nation grouping in 2009 after military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama reneged on a pledge to hold elections in the wake of a coup three years earlier.

Remengesau, the president of Palau, said the Fiji government had been advised of the decision.

?I offer again our warm congratulations to the newly elected government of Prime Minister Bainimarama and commend the people of Fiji for their full participation in the historic election of their leaders and representatives," he said.

Bainimarama finally held elections last month and won by a landslide.

The PIF, mostly made up of impoverished small island states, was set up to help coordinate areas such as fisheries across its members' vast ocean territories.

In recent years it has taken a leading role in raising global awareness about climate change, which directly threatens the existence of some of its low-lying members such as Kiribati and Tuvalu.

Despite Friday's decision, Fiji's participation in the PIF is not guaranteed because Suva set up its own rival grouping, the Pacific Islands Development Forum, while it was suspended.

Fiji's Foreign Minister Inoke Kubuabol said earlier this year that Fiji would not rejoin unless Australia and New Zealand were expelled because they dominated the body in its current form.

There was no immediate comment from the Fiji government on the PIF statement.

The Commonwealth lifted a similar suspension on Fiji last month following what it said were "credible" elections.