- During a three-day visit to India, the Prime Minister of Fiji held talks with India’s Prime Minister to deepen bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
- The discussions emphasized strengthening defense, healthcare, education, cultural exchange, and regional strategic collaboration.
Key Agreements and Cooperation:
- Defense & Security: India will provide training, equipment, and capacity building for Fiji’s military, collaborate on UN Peacekeeping Operations, military medicine, White Shipping Information Exchange, and cybersecurity.
- Healthcare Initiatives: Establishment of a 100-bedded Super-Specialty Hospital, Jan Aushadhi, Heal in India, and telemedicine services under e-Sanjeevani.
- Education & Cultural Exchange: Focus on Hindi-Sanskrit studies, recognition of Girmitiyas (Indian indentured laborers), student and professional mobility, and sports collaboration.
- Strategic Cooperation: Joint vision for Indo-Pacific peace, support for India’s UN Security Council membership, counter-terrorism, climate action, sustainable development, and South-South cooperation. This aligns with India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), countering Chinese influence in Pacific Island Countries.
Recognition and Diplomacy:
- The Indian Prime Minister lauded Fiji’s PM for championing the ‘Ocean of Peace’ initiative, aimed at fostering a stable, secure, and sustainable Indo-Pacific.
About Fiji:
- Fiji is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising over 300 islands (around 100 inhabited), north of Auckland, New Zealand. Known as the “soft coral capital of the world”, Fiji has over 4,000 sq km of coral reefs. Historically, sugarcane has driven its economy.
- Fiji is a parliamentary democracy with a diverse population including Indigenous Fijians, Indians, and Europeans. It is home to the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The visit highlights the deepening India–Fiji partnership across defense, healthcare, culture, and regional strategic cooperation.