Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka on Thursday said India stood by his country in times of great need and will always be a special friend and trusted partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m pleased to say that India will always be a special friend and trusted partner to Fiji,\u201d the Fiji Prime Minister said during a joint press statement with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Suva, Fiji on Thursday. \u201cTogether we\u2019ve built a robust multifaceted partnership which covers cooperation in all major areas of nation-building. India has stood by us in times of great need. We\u2019re grateful to GoI for supporting us through the provision of life-saving vaccines and humanitarian assistance,\u201d the Fijian PM said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He appreciated PM Modi and the Indian government for their support in co-hosting the 12th World Hindi conference in Fiji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFiji appreciates India\u2019s commitment towards the development of our pacific region through collective priorities. We are more resolved now than ever to build a strong and sustainable future for families in Fiji, the Pacific and beyond,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added: \u201cOn behalf of Govt of Fiji, I thank the government of India for realising this important cooperation. I\u2019m confident that we will witness many more such initiatives unfolding through the deepening of our cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fiji Prime Minister said further that a lot of people from his country visit India for medical treatment and education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the MoU on visa exemption between India and Fiji, the PM said: \u201cWe will certainly benefit, though the scale may differ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On whether China came up in his talks with EAM Jaishankar, Rabuka said, \u201cWe thought it was bad manners to talk about somebody who is not in the building. We spoke about our own cooperation and we\u2019re very fortunate to have such a great power and economy talking to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have great old friends and there is no need to look for new friends. There are no really new friends in this region. We have been friends with India, and we have been friends with China. We\u2019ll continue our relationship,\u201d the Fijian PM said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jaishankar on Thursday launched the \u2018Solarization of Residences of Pacific Heads of State Project\u2019 in the presence of Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere in Suva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPleased to be call on H.E. Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, President of Fiji in State House in Suva. Jointly inaugurated the Solarization of the State House. This is the first of a series that India is supporting in the Pacific Islands,\u201d tweeted Jaishankar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 12th World Hindi Conference is being held in Fiji from February 15 to 17. It is being co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Fiji government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka on Thursday said India stood by his country in times of great need and will always be a special friend and trusted partner. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to say that India will always be a special friend and trusted partner to Fiji,\u201d the Fiji Prime Minister said during a joint press statement […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international"],"yoast_head":"\n