New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that India will provide training and equipment to upgrade Fiji’s maritime security, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties.
Welcoming visiting Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Mr. Modi said both countries “strongly support a free, open, inclusive, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” and emphasised Fiji’s role as a hub in India’s engagement with the Pacific island nations.
Key Announcements and Agreements:
- Maritime Security & Defence: India to train Fijian armed forces, provide equipment, and enhance capacity-building. Cooperation will also cover U.N. peacekeeping operations, military medicine, White Shipping Information Exchange, and disaster relief.
- New Initiatives:
- Gifting of two ambulances to Fiji’s military forces.
- Opening of a Defence Wing at the High Commission of India in Suva.
- Launch of a cybersecurity training cell in Fiji.
- MoUs Signed (7 in total):
- Agreement on a super-speciality hospital in Fiji.
- MoU on migration and mobility.
- Support for Jan Aushadhi Kendras (‘people’s pharmacies’) to supply affordable generic medicines.
- Provision for specialised medical care in India for up to 10 Fijians annually under the Heal in India programme.
Strategic Signals:
Mr. Rabuka welcomed India’s support to secure Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the planned Indian naval ship port call to Fiji. The joint statement underscored the commitment to a “free, open, secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” seen as a message amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific.
Cultural and Historical Links:
Mr. Modi also highlighted the enduring bond created by the Indian indentured labourers who migrated to Fiji between 1879–1916, saying their descendants have enriched Fijian society and unity.
Both leaders reiterated their joint fight against terrorism, condemning the April 20 terror attack in Pahalgam.
