• India and Fiji firmed up an action plan to boost defence ties as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka held talks to expand the overall bilateral cooperation.

• Rabuka arrived in New Delhi on August 24 on a three-day trip to shore up Fiji’s ties with India in a range of areas such as maritime security, trade, health, digital technology and capacity building.

• It was Rabuka’s first visit to India in his current capacity.

Highlights of the meeting:

• Both leaders held comprehensive and forward-looking discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral matters, and regional and global issues of mutual interest. 

• They expressed satisfaction at the growth of the relationship and reaffirmed their resolve to build a broad-based, inclusive, and forward-looking partnership in areas such as defence, health, agriculture, agro-processing, trade and investment, development of small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, culture, sports, education and skill development.

• They acknowledged the contribution of the Girmitiyas, over 60,000 Indian indentured labourers who arrived in Fiji between 1879 and 1916, in shaping Fiji’s multicultural identity, diverse society and economy.

• PM Modi announced the gifting of 12 agricultural drones and 2 mobile soil testing laboratories under India’s Grant-in-Aid Programme which will promote innovation and enhance productivity in Fiji’s sugar sector. 

• They acknowledged the steady growth in bilateral trade and recognised the substantial untapped potential for trade and investment between India and Fiji. 

• They expressed their intent to deepen sectoral cooperation in areas of mutual interest to further consolidate economic partnership, diversify trade portfolios and enhance resilience of supply chains. 

• PM Modi welcomed the grant of market access to Indian ghee by the government of Fiji.

Signing of documents:

Both PMs welcomed the signing of the following aimed at deepening cooperation in key sectors.

i) MoU between the Fiji Development Bank (FDB) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of India to enhance collaboration in rural development, agricultural financing and financial inclusion.

ii) MoU on Cooperation in the field of Standardisation between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Department of National Trade Measurement and Standards (DNTMS) of the Republic of Fiji.

iii) MoU between National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), India and Pacific Polytechnic, Fiji, for cooperation in the field of human capacity building, skilling, and upskilling.

iv) MoU between the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) to further economic and commercial ties.

v) Agreement between HLL Lifecare Ltd and Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Fiji on supply of medicines under Jan Aushadhi Scheme.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)