Bainimarama acknowledges India's many contributions to Fiji's development

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has acknowledged India's many contributions to Fiji's development, culture and people‑to‑people exchanges.

This comes after Bainimarama had a bilateral meeting with India's Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Part of the discussion was Swaraj’s proposed visit to Fiji in February 2019, where she plans to follow up on India's commitments from the Forum for India‑Pacific Islands Cooperation and other development assistance programmes.

During the meeting, Bainimarama also discussed with Swaraj Fiji's extensive national election preparations, thanking the government of India for its assistance in supporting and overseeing the electoral process.

India is taking a lead role in this year's elections as co‑chair, with Australia and Indonesia of the Multinational Observation Group.

Swaraj who is the second woman to hold her office in India only after Indira Gandhi, oversees foreign policy for the 1.3‑billion‑person nation under the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bainimarama also thanked the Indian government for helping ensure the well‑being of Fijians both now and in the future, namely, through India's generous support of Fiji's COP 23 Presidency and the country's national defence and disaster relief efforts.

He says that India has also been particularly generous in its backing of Fiji's micro, small and medium enterprises, lending its vast technical expertise and contributing over $5.9 million to the Micro and Small Business Grant programme, to the aid of the many thousands of entrepreneurial Fijians who have used the grants to grow their businesses.