[Photo: Office of the Attorney General/FACEBOOK PAGE]

The absence of Solicitor-General Ropate Green from the Foreign Affairs Committee’s review of the proposed Fiji-Australia Vuvale Union has raised questions over the agreement’s scrutiny.

Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma is calling for ratification to be deferred until outstanding gaps are addressed.

Sharma also pointed to the absence of a work plan and errors in the treaty documentation, arguing that Government must address these gaps before Parliament proceeds with the agreement.

Speaking in Parliament, Sharma said deferring the treaty would not mean rejecting Fiji’s relationship with Australia but would allow both sides to address outstanding concerns and return with an agreement Parliament could approve with confidence.

He urged the government to withdraw its motion and return to the negotiating table.

Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister Sakiasi Ditoka maintained that Fiji’s sovereignty and security decisions would remain under its own control.

He said the constitution would remain the supreme law and could not be overridden by any international agreement.

Ditoka also maintained that any Fijian participation in security-related activities would be determined by the government through its own domestic processes, guided by national interests and constitutional obligations.

The Minister outlined Australia’s proposed financial support exceeding $1.5 billion over 10 years, comprising approximately $1.05 billion in grants and $550 million in loans.

He said grants and loans would be clearly distinguished and that no loan would be accepted without proper assessment of its affordability, sustainability and value to Fiji.

Ditoka also stressed that closer relations with Australia would not come at the expense of Fiji’s partnerships with China, India, Japan, the United States, New Zealand and other countries.

He said the government would carefully consider the committee’s recommendations, including those relating to the timing of ratification.