Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is set to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in New Delhi, marking Rabuka’s first official visit to India as prime minister. He will be accompanied by Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu and senior government officials. Modi is expected to host a lunch in honor of the visiting Fiji leader.
Rabuka is also planned to call on President Droupadi Murmu, who visited Fiji in August 2024, and he will deliver a talk on the theme of “Ocean of Peace” at the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi. The engagements underline the enduring and deepening ties between India and Fiji, and reaffirm both countries’ commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation.
The visit comes on the heels of recent high-level discussions that highlighted the momentum in Fiji–India relations. In Suva, a Foreign Office Consultation explored ways to broaden collaboration across sectors, including healthcare, education, technology, and culture. The talks touched on advancing practical cooperation, including the lease process for India’s Chancery and Cultural Centre in Nasese and progress toward a Memorandum of Understanding between India’s Bureau of Indian Standards and Fiji’s Department of National Trade Measurement and Standards.
Healthcare was highlighted as a key area of potential cooperation, with ongoing projects such as the development of a 100-bed Super Specialty Cardiology Hospital in Suva indicating shared intent to improve health access not only for Fiji but for the wider Pacific region. Rabuka’s India visit is seen as a significant step in translating these discussions into concrete cooperation.
Overall, the trip signals a positive trajectory in Fiji–India relations, reinforcing a long-standing partnership and signaling a collaborative path forward in areas including health, education, technology, and cultural exchange. The leaders’ engagements are framed as a renewed commitment to regional stability, sustainable development, and enhanced wellbeing for the Fijian people and the broader Blue Pacific community.
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