Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka arrived in New Delhi on August 24, 2025, for a four-day official visit to India, accompanied by his spouse, Suluweti Rabuka. This visit marks his first trip to India as Prime Minister and is seen as an important step toward further consolidating relations between New Delhi and Suva.

Upon his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Prime Minister Rabuka was warmly received by Union Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Development of the North Eastern Region, Sukanta Majumdar, reflecting India’s emphasis on extending a high-level reception for the Fijian leader.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) welcomed Rabuka on social media, with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noting that the visit will enhance the India–Fiji partnership across multiple sectors, expanding cooperation beyond traditional areas of engagement.

According to the MEA, the visit is scheduled to run from August 24 to 27, with engagements lined up in New Delhi as the focal point. On August 25, Prime Minister Rabuka will begin his day by laying a wreath at Rajghat, paying respect to Mahatma Gandhi, a gesture symbolizing the deep historical and cultural connections between India and Fiji.

Following this, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, where both leaders are expected to discuss avenues for strengthening collaboration in areas like trade, development cooperation, capacity building, renewable energy, digital connectivity, and people-to-people ties.

The meeting will be followed by the exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), signalling new commitments and tangible frameworks to deepen the partnership. Later in the day, Rabuka is scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, further underlining the ceremonial and diplomatic importance of his visit.

On August 26, Prime Minister Rabuka is slated to deliver a lecture at Sapru House, under the aegis of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), highlighting Fiji’s perspectives on global and regional issues, as well as the role of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in international governance, climate action, and sustainable development.

His participation in such a scholarly and diplomatic forum reflects the emphasis on intellectual, cultural, and policy-level exchanges between the two nations in addition to government-to-government dialogue. The visit will officially conclude with his departure from New Delhi on August 27, 2025, bringing an end to what is expected to be a highly consequential and multifaceted engagement between the two countries.

The visit also comes in the backdrop of a series of recent high-level interactions between India and Fiji, indicating a renewed momentum in bilateral relations. India’s ties with Fiji hold historical, cultural, and emotional significance given the legacy of Indian migration to Fiji.

The link between the two countries dates back to 1879, when Indian indentured labourers, known as ‘Girmitiyas’, were taken to Fiji to work in sugarcane plantations. Between 1879 and 1916, nearly 60,553 Indian labourers were transported under this system.

While the indenture system was officially abolished in 1920, the Indian-origin community in Fiji has since grown into an influential segment of Fijian society. Even before Fiji attained independence in 1970, India had established a Commissioner’s office in Suva in 1948, which was subsequently upgraded to a High Commission following Fiji’s independence.

These longstanding historical bonds are complemented by cooperation in education, healthcare, agriculture, and development partnerships in recent decades.

Today, the India–Fiji relationship stands at an important juncture, with both nations looking to collaborate across traditional and emerging fields.

For India, Fiji is an important partner in the Pacific Island region, both from a geopolitical standpoint and as part of New Delhi’s outreach policy under the Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). Fiji, on its part, seeks to benefit from India’s experiences in capacity building, technology, science, and climate-resilient development—areas critical for small island nations.

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Rabuka’s four-day visit is expected not only to reinforce political and economic partnerships but also to add a renewed cultural, strategic, and developmental dimension to bilateral ties.

Based On ANI Report