Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka Wednesday told Parliament that Fiji’s recent international engagements are producing tangible results for healthcare, climate resilience, regional cooperation, and global diplomacy.
Delivering a ministerial statement, Rabuka detailed outcomes from his official visit to India, the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Solomon Islands, the opening of Fiji’s first Embassy in Jerusalem, and the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“Since assuming office in 2022, my primary goal has been to reinforce our relationships with all our bilateral partners to restore Fiji’s position on the global stage as friends to all and enemy to none,” Rabuka said.
“The core principles of sovereignty, security and prosperity has been the foundation of our foreign policy, which is embedded in our inaugural Foreign Policy White Paper.”
In India, Fiji secured several agreements aimed at improving healthcare and infrastructure. These include a Memorandum of Understanding to establish Jan Aushadhi Kendras (People’s Pharmacies) in Fiji to provide affordable generic medicines, a new 100-bed cardiology hospital, and a groundwater project in Tubalevu Village to deliver clean drinking water.
Rabuka said the partnership also included recognition of Indian pharmaceutical standards and land allocation for a new Indian chancery and cultural centre in Suva.
At the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Solomon Islands, Rabuka said Fiji played a central role in advancing regional solidarity.
He highlighted Fiji’s leadership in the Ocean of Peace Declaration, which affirms the Pacific as a region of stability and unity, and the signing of the Pacific Resilience Facility Treaty(PRF), creating a Pacific-owned climate and disaster resilience fund.
Bilateral agreements with Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu were also signed.
On Fiji’s diplomatic expansion, Rabuka told Parliament that the opening of Fiji’s first Embassy in Jerusalem marked an important milestone.
“Fiji became the 7th country worldwide to establish a resident embassy in Israel, and the 100th diplomatic mission in the country. This move reflects Fiji’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Israel in climate resilience, agriculture, security, and technology,” he said.
At the UN General Assembly, Fiji reaffirmed its global climate and ocean leadership, advocating for the Ocean of Peace vision and celebrating the entry into force of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)Treaty, which Fiji has already ratified.
Rabuka stressed that these outcomes align directly with Fiji’s national priorities.
“These strategic engagements will eventually translate into socio-economic developments and stimulating of our economy, directly benefiting and uplifting the lives of all Fijians. The trips demonstrate Fiji’s commitment to proactive diplomacy, regional solidarity, and global climate leadership,” he said.
He concluded by assuring Parliament that Fiji will “continue to pursue partnerships and initiatives that uphold our sovereignty, protect our environment, and promote the wellbeing of all Fijians.”
