Universal Postal Union Director General Bishar Hussein met Fiji’s Acting Prime Minister and Attorney General, Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on Tuesday, 19 June, while on his official visit to the country.
Mr. Hussein, who is attending a UPU-sponsored capacity building meeting for the Pacific Islands, expressed the need for Fiji and countries in the sub-region to become more involved in UPU activities.
“Participating in UPU meetings will give the countries opportunity to best express the challenges faced by the posts in the sub-region,” the DG said. He added that continued absence in UPU forums by countries in the sub-region denies them a chance to favorably influence its decisions.”
Mr. Hussein invited Fiji and other countries in the sub-region to attend the forthcoming UPU Extraordinary Congress in September.
The DG further pledged continued technical assistance to the sub-region to help the countries improve postal services.
Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum, who is also the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Public Enterprises, Civil Service & Communications, urged UPU to tailor training courses and other technical assistance interventions to address the peculiar situations of the sub-region.
“We are small countries in size and population and with low volumes of postal business, as such UPU should take into consideration these situations when addressing issues of the sub-region”, he said, adding that the region was also prone to natural environmental disasters.
He pledged greater participation in UPU’s forums and at the same time urged the Union to consider holding more meetings in Fiji to enable more countries in the sub-region to attend.