Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has described the opening of Israel’s embassy in Suva as the start of a “golden era” in relations between the two countries, calling the move a diplomatic milestone that shifts ties from symbolic affinity to practical, long-term partnership. Rabuka made the remarks at a joint press conference on Tuesday with Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, who is on his first official visit to Fiji to inaugurate the new mission.
Sa’ar said the establishment of the embassy in Suva would “strengthen our great bilateral relations for the next generations,” thanking Fijians for their hospitality and praising the country’s traditions and heritage. “I came from very far, but I feel very close and I feel at home,” he told reporters. His presence in Suva marked what Rabuka described as a reciprocal step following Fiji’s own recent opening of an embassy in Israel.
Rabuka noted that Fiji’s mission in Israel was the Pacific nation’s first resident mission in the Holy Land and, in doing so, made Fiji the seventh country worldwide to establish an embassy in Jerusalem and the 100th diplomatic mission in Israel. “We come full circle,” Rabuka said, saying Sa’ar’s visit sealed the reciprocal commitment as Israel opened a resident embassy in Fiji’s capital.
Beyond ceremonial significance, Rabuka emphasised that discussions at the meeting had moved into practical areas that align with Fiji’s development priorities. He identified health, digital transformation and cyber security, agriculture and food security, diplomatic training, human resource development and institutional capacity building as key fields for cooperation, noting Israel’s recognised expertise in many of these areas.
Rabuka singled out cyber security as a priority, saying strengthening resilience and protecting critical national systems were important for Fiji and the wider Pacific region. He also highlighted agriculture and food security, pointing to opportunities to boost productivity and climate resilience through innovation and private-sector engagement.
Security cooperation took centre stage in Rabuka’s remarks as well. He said Fiji faced rising threats from illicit drugs and transnational organised crime and that Israel’s “depth of knowledge and technology-based solutions” could support institutional linkages and capacity building to bolster national and regional stability. Rabuka framed this as part of a broader shift in the relationship from historical and symbolic ties to targeted, tech-driven collaboration that responds to “today’s realities.”
The inauguration of Israel’s embassy in Suva and Sa’ar’s first official visit signal a new chapter in bilateral engagement, with both governments positioning the relationship as long-term and multifaceted. Officials from both sides described the move as laying foundations for sustained cooperation across development, security and diplomatic channels that they say will benefit future generations in Fiji and strengthen ties with Israel.