Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka on Tuesday said that the recent announcement of US tariffs is aimed at India and could strain ties between New Delhi and Washington.
Rabuka, the prime minister of the South Pacific nation, arrived in Delhi on Sunday on a three-day trip to shore up Fiji's ties with India in a range of areas such as maritime security, trade, health, digital technology and capacity building.
Sharing details of his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rabuka said, “The recent announcement of the tariffs and some things are coming towards Prime Minister Modi’s direction. I told him the other day, somebody's not very happy with you, but you are big enough to weather those discomforts.”
Rabuka, who has sought a bilateral meeting with the Russian President and has previously held talks with UK leaders, noted that Modi had echoed Fiji’s vision of the Pacific as an “ocean of peace.” He underlined that it was the responsibility of Pacific nations to take this concept to the world, especially as global developments impact their region.
Earlier, India and Fiji firmed up an action plan to boost defence ties and agreed to jointly work for a peaceful and inclusive Indo-Pacific as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka held talks to expand the overall bilateral cooperation. India and Fiji may be oceans apart, but "our aspirations sail in the same boat", Modi said following the meeting.
In the last few years, India has been looking at expanding defence and security cooperation with the Pacific island states against the backdrop of China's relentless efforts to expand its strategic heft in the Pacific region. Following the talks between Modi and Rabuka, the two sides inked seven pacts providing for enhancing cooperation in a range of areas including medicine, skill development, trade and capacity building.
"We have decided to strengthen our cooperation in defence and security. An action plan has been prepared for this. India will provide cooperation in training and equipment, to improve Fiji's maritime security," Modi said in his media statement. "We are also ready to share our experience in cyber security and data protection," he said.
Modi said India-Fiji ties are built on "trust and respect". "From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, our partnership is a bridge across the seas," he said. In his remarks, Modi said India perceives Fiji as a hub for its cooperation with Pacific island nations.
"Both our countries strongly support a free, open, inclusive, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The prime minister's vision of 'Oceans of Peace' is a very positive and forward-looking approach," he said. On his part, Rabuka said both countries want to promote peace, stability and development in the Indo-Pacific and Fiji can only benefit from its relationship with India.
In his remarks, Modi said both sides are unanimous that terrorism is a "huge challenge" for the entire humanity. "We express our gratitude to Prime Minister Rabuka and the Government of Fiji for their cooperation and support in our fight against terrorism," he added.
Modi also referred to India's vision for the Global South. "We are fellow travellers in the development journey of the Global South. Together, we are partners in shaping a world order where independence, ideas, and identity of the Global South are accorded due respect," he said.
The two sides also announced several measures to expand defence cooperation that included a port call by an Indian naval ship to Fiji this year, the creation of a post of defence attache in the Indian mission in Suva and the gifting of two sea ambulances by India to Fiji's military forces.
*With Agency Inputs
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