Summary: Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will visit India from August 24–26, 2025, with a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 25, a courtesy call on the Indian President, a luncheon hosted by Modi, and a keynote address at ICWA titled “Ocean of Peace.” The delegation includes Rabuka’s spouse Sulueti Rabuka and Health Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, among other senior officials, and the visit is framed as a continuation of the longstanding, multifaceted India–Fiji partnership.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is headed to New Delhi for a three-day engagement from August 24 to 26, 2025, where he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 25. The Fiji delegation, led by Rabuka, includes his wife Sulueti Rabuka and Health and Medical Services Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, along with senior government officials. The visit underscores the enduring and multifaceted relationship between India and Fiji, with both countries committed to expanding cooperation across a broad spectrum of sectors, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
A centerpiece of the trip will be formal bilateral talks between Rabuka and Modi, scheduled for August 25 in New Delhi. Modi is also expected to host a lunch in Rabuka’s honor, and Rabuka will pay a courtesy call on the President of India during his stay. The timeline situates the visit as part of a continuing momentum in India–Fiji engagement, coming about a year after India hosted Fiji’s President on a landmark state visit in August 2024. During his Delhi stay, Rabuka will deliver a keynote address titled “Ocean of Peace” at the Indian Council of World Affairs.
The Ministry of External Affairs in India described the visit as reaffirming the close, long-standing ties and the shared commitment to deepen cooperation across all sectors and to strengthen people-to-people connections. This visit reflects ongoing efforts to translate diplomatic goodwill into tangible benefits for both nations.
Context and additional value:
– Ongoing cooperation has previously been framed to include tangible initiatives such as a potential Memorandum of Understanding between India’s Bureau of Indian Standards and Fiji’s Department of National Trade Measurement and Standards, alongside other regulatory and standards collaborations. Earlier reporting tied the visit to discussions that could also encompass the lease and development status of India’s Chancery and Cultural Centre in Nasese, as well as collaboration on a proposed 100-bed Super Specialty Cardiology Hospital in Suva. These items illustrate a broader health, trade, and infrastructure collaboration trajectory between the two countries.
– The relationship between India and Fiji has been cultivated across healthcare, education, technology, culture, and people-to-people links, with high-level exchanges frequently translating into cooperative projects and capacity-building efforts in the Pacific region.
– The visit signals a shared interest in strengthening regional resilience, healthcare access, and economic partnerships, contributing to broader Pacific-audience outreach and regional stability.
Outlook:
This trip is likely to reinforce and operationalize existing goodwill by translating talks into concrete cooperation, especially in healthcare, trade standards, and cultural exchange. It also keeps Fiji’s leadership engaged with major regional partners to align on development priorities, climate resilience, and education. For Fiji, the India relationship offers potential avenues for advanced medical infrastructure, technology transfer, and enhanced regional connectivity; for India, the partnership supports its broader “Vai lunga” approach to the Pacific, expanding influence and collaboration in a strategically important region.
Note: This rewrite incorporates related background discussions reported in prior coverage, including expected agreements and ongoing projects linked to the broader India–Fiji partnership, while staying focused on the facts presented for this visit.
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