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Honorary Appointments
On November 6, 2006, the Fiji Times Online sheds some light on the criteria applied to the appointment of honorary consuls after Fijian ambassador to Washington, Jesoni Vitusagavulu, announced the new posts.
The United States is one of the countries applying restraint in the accreditation of honorary consuls. The hurdles to overcome in some countries exist to minimize abuse of appointments and involve a strict vetting process. Some nations require honorary consuls to establish offices in state capitals unless special situations necessitate the presence of such officials in other areas, such as where many nationals of the appointing nation reside or visit.
In the case of the Fijian appointments, the ambassador explained that the new appointees will be the eyes and ears on the ground for the embassy to identify trade and investment opportunities in two American business centers, Chicago and Dallas. -- Clemens Kochinke, Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe, LLP, Washington.
Mon, / Embassy Law Link