India and Fiji on August 25, 2025, jointly announced significant initiatives to enhance their defence and maritime security cooperation. Key developments include the creation of a Defence Attaché post at the Indian High Commission in Suva, Fiji, and the gifting of two sea ambulances to the Fijian Military Forces by India.

A Cyber Security Training Cell (CSTC) will be established in Fiji to address cyber and digital defence challenges. Both nations emphasised their commitment to strengthening maritime security, including India's planned naval ship visit to Fiji for port calls, aimed at enhancing maritime cooperation and interoperability.

The leaders of India and Fiji reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, focusing especially on protecting Fiji's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Cooperation was also highlighted in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Military Medicine, White Shipping Information Exchange, and capacity building for Fiji's military. The joint efforts are designed to accelerate bilateral defence collaboration, support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and bolster emerging technological sectors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka highlighted strategic partnership growth through an action plan encompassing training, equipment support, and maritime capacity building.

India also committed to helping Fiji with disaster response and security in the region, reflecting Fiji's vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. The establishment of the defence wing within the Indian High Commission in Suva and deeper collaboration on regional security underscore the expanding bilateral ties amidst the broader Indo-Pacific geopolitical context.

These initiatives are part of enhanced cooperation following the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation and the outcomes of the inaugural Joint Working Group on Defence.

The visit by Prime Minister Rabuka to India, his first as Fiji’s leader, aims to deepen ties in multiple sectors including strategic partnership and people-to-people exchanges, reinforcing Fiji’s role as a regional hub in the Pacific through its leadership positions in regional organisations.

In summary, India-Fiji defence and maritime security cooperation includes:

Creation of Defence Attaché post in Indian High Commission, Suva
Gifting of two sea ambulances to Fiji Military Forces
Establishment of Cyber Security Training Cell in Fiji
Planned visit of an Indian Naval Ship to Fiji for maritime cooperation
Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping, Military Medicine, capacity building
Joint focus on Indo-Pacific peace, security, and disaster management
Commitment to training, equipment support, and maritime capacity building

These developments mark a major advancement in India-Fiji bilateral relations, reflecting a strategic partnership aiming for regional stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific amid growing geopolitical challenges.

Based On ANI Report