"Fiji's military regime should forthwith be suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth pending the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in that country," foreign ministers from nine member countries said.

The suspension bars the Pacific nation from all inter-governmental Commonwealth meetings and other activities with immediate effect, but existing technical assistance would continue, they added.

The grouping's secretary-general Don McKinnon had indicated earlier this week after army chief Voreqe Bainimarama seized power in a bloodless coup on Tuesday that the likelihood of Fiji being suspended was "very high".