The visit of Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to India is a significant step as political will is being injected into an established friendship, turning goodwill from the past into concrete projects. According to a report released on Wednesday, while execution will be tested over the next years, the planned roadmap and mutual stakeholder participation point to potential outcomes that go beyond India-Fiji relations and serve as a model for India’s regional outreach.
According to an article in India Narrative, India-Fiji bilateral trade, which was valued at USD 74.86 million in FY 2023–2024, is predicted to reach USD 100 million by 2026, demonstrating institutional linkages and agreements for access to specialized products. India continues to be a popular destination for Fijian students and medical travelers, with over 60% of the population in Fiji being of Indian descent.
The results reinforce India’s goal of being the Indo-Pacific region’s go-to development partner and supplier of net security, while also using its leadership in the “Global South” to gain more clout and cooperative regional frameworks. It explained that Fiji has new instruments to deal with post-pandemic recovery, climate shocks, and demographic change thanks to concrete investments in infrastructure, healthcare, trade capacity, and social capital.
Rabuka’s discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India produced results that support both countries’ strategic objectives in the quickly changing Indo-Pacific region and India’s Act East strategy. A detailed plan for enhancing defense cooperation between the two countries was the main focus of Rabuka’s visit. Given China’s expanding naval presence in the Pacific, PM Modi and Rabuka agreed on a strategy that prioritized enhancing Fiji’s maritime capabilities. Additionally, India announced the opening of a Defense Attaché position at its Fijian High Commission.
According to India Narrative’s report, the two countries emphasized the necessity of an Indo-Pacific that is inclusive, open, and free. India and Fiji promised to work together to respond to disasters and voiced their opposition to “double standards” on terrorism. India also declared its intention to construct a 100-bed medical facility in Suva, indicating New Delhi’s dedication to enhancing the healthcare system in the Pacific. Fiji will see the opening of Jan Aushadhi Kendras, which will promote reasonably priced, superior medications. Additionally, India promised to fund cutting-edge medical care for a select group of Fijian citizens annually and to host charitable prosthesis camps (Jaipur Foot).
Both nations signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cooperation in key areas, such as the Fiji Development Bank (FDB) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of India to improve cooperation in rural development, agricultural financing, and financial inclusion; the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Department of National Trade Measurement and Standards (DNTMS) of the Republic of Fiji on Cooperation in the field of Standardization; between the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) to advance economic and commercial ties; and between Pacific Polytechnic, Fiji, and the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), which is part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), India, for collaboration in the areas of human capacity building, skilling, and upskilling.
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