New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith Thursday reaffirmed their support for the decisions taken by the Pacific Island Forum to suspend Fiji.

"We spoke about the need to get some form of dialogue to get Fiji back on the path to democracy ... we are not necessarily of the view, with a great deal of optimism, that that will happen in the near future," Smith told a joint press conference with McCully following their six-monthly discussions in Wellington.

"We want to ensure that we do what we can to assist the people of Fiji themselves while at the same time continuing to place pressure on the interim administration," he added.

McCully said they discussed bilateral, regional and international issues, including Fiji situation, and the impact of the global recession on Fiji and the wider Pacific.

The two ministers said they have concerns that Fiji's worsening economic situation is being compounded by the global recession.

Smith said that issue would become a focus of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Cairns in August.

The two ministers also urged the United Nations to stop using Fijian peacekeepers.

The UN decided last year not to use Fijian peacekeepers for any new missions but it has continued to deploy those already engaged.

McCully said he had tried to "step up the level of dialogue" with the UN and would continue to do so.

Smith said Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had taken up the peacekeeping issue with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"The much preferred position is for the UN not to have the Fiji military as part of their peacekeeping arrangements until such time as Fiji can return to democracy," he said.

Source: Xinhua