Kaliopate Tavola

Kaliopate Tavola (born 1946) is a Fijian Agricultural economist, diplomat, and politician, who was his country's Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2006. He was also Minister for External Trade and Minister for Sugar.

A native of the small island of Dravuni in the Kadavu archipelago, Tavola was educated at Ratu Sukuna Memorial School and began his career in 1973 as an agricultural economist with the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1984 he was posted to London as a Counsellor with the Fijian High Commission; he concurrently represented the Fiji Sugar Marketing Company. He was transferred to Brussels and appointed Ambassador to Belgium in 1988, and was accredited to France, Portugal, Spain, Luxembourg, and Greece, as well as to UNESCO and the World Trade Organization. He remained in that position for ten years.

Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase appointed Tavola Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Interim Government that took office in July 2000, following a counter-coup which thwarted George Speight's putsch against the elected government of Mahendra Chaudhry. In the general election held to restore democracy in September 2001, Tavola was elected as a candidate of the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua to represent the Lami Open Constituency, and retained his Cabinet position subsequently.