Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that India and Fiji will deepen cooperation in defence and security following extensive talks with his Fijian counterpart, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka. Addressing a joint press conference with the Fijian PM, he said an action plan has been prepared to take this partnership forward.
In a joint press briefing with the Fijian PM, Prime Minister Modi said, "We have decided to strengthen mutual cooperation in the defence and security sector. An action plan has been prepared for this. To empower Fiji's maritime security, India will provide cooperation in training and equipment. India and Fiji are ready to share our experience in the fields of cybersecurity and data protection. We agree that terrorism is a huge challenge for all of humanity."
It is pertinent to mention that India and Fiji ink seven pacts following talks between PM Modi and his Fijian counterpart Rabuka. "In today's meeting, we took many important decisions. We believe that a healthy nation can only be a prosperous nation. We have decided that a 100-bed super specialty hospital will be constructed in Suva, Fiji. Dialysis units and sea ambulances will be sent to Fiji, and Jan Aushadhi centers will be opened there, so that affordable and high-quality medicines reach every home. A Jaipur foot camp will also be organised in Suva," said Prime Minister Modi.
PM Modi further said that India and Fiji are partners in building a world order where independence, ideas, and identity of the Global South are respected. "After 33 years, in 2014, an Indian PM visited Fiji. I am very happy and proud that it was my good fortune. At the time, we formed Foreign For India Pacific Island Cooperation - FIPIC. This initiative not only strengthened India-Fiji relations but also our relations with the entire Pacific region. With this visit of PM Rabuka, we are adding a new chapter in our relations," said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister said climate change is a threat for Fiji and New Delhi will help it deal with disaster response. "Climate change is a critical threat for Fiji. In this context, we are working together on renewable energy, especially solar energy. We are together in the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and Global Biofuels Alliance. Now we will also assist in enhancing Fiji's capabilities in disaster response," he added.
PM Modi holds talks with Fijian counterpart
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Fijian counterpart, focusing on shoring up bilateral ties in areas such as trade and investment.
Rabuka arrived in Delhi on Sunday on a three-day trip. It is his first visit to India in his capacity as the prime minister of the South Pacific nation. The Fijian leader is accompanied by a high-level delegation that included health minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu and several senior officials. Fiji is an important nation for India in the sphere of maritime security.
The two nations have a strong cultural and people-to-people ties. India's links with Fiji began in 1879 when Indian labourers were taken to Fiji under the indenture system by the British
