AUSTRALIA will lose its political and strategic influence in Fiji if it doesn't restore good relations as soon as possible, the Pacific nation's former prime minister says.
Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka told a meeting in Sydney that Asian powers, such as China, were building new relationships with Fiji while Australia hid "behind a wall of political correctness".
Another speaker at the 2nd International Defence and Security Dialogue on Tuesday said Australia had "lost the plot" in regard to security in the region.
Major-General Rabuka, who led a military coup in 1987, said it was important to quickly restore relationships because of the attention and influence Fiji was getting from Asia.
"While the past 25 years of the Australia-Fiji relationship has been strained and dominated by isolationism and a diplomatic feud, Australia must realise that the longer the isolation, the more difficult the restoration," he told the forum on Tuesday.
"After Fiji normalises its own national political situation, Fiji will expect the quick restoration of bilateral relationship with Australia".
Australia-Fiji relations have been strained since Fiji's government was overthrown in 2006 by a military coup staged by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, now Fiji's prime minister.
Australia has also imposed financial and travel sanctions on Fiji until democracy is restored.
But Fiji has been pursuing relationships with other countries and has upped its involvement with the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), which includes Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, the forum was told.
Professor Richard Herr, from the Centre for International and Regional Affairs at the University of Fiji, said Australia had "lost the plot" about regional security.
He said Australia had become lax in its involvement with the MSG and risked "becoming an outsider looking in" when it came to Pacific island relations.
Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced in July last year that Australia would restore diplomatic relations with Fiji.
In December, career diplomat Margaret Twomey was appointed High Commissioner to Fiji and is due to start the posting within weeks.
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