PM Rabuka meets the non-resident Ambassador of Netherlands: Discusses key areas of bilateral cooperation
08/05/2025
French Ambassador visits Ministry of Foreign Affairs
08/05/2025Published On: 08/05/2025
Prime Minister Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka met with the French Ambassador to Fiji, Her Excellency Julie Le Saos yesterday where he reaffirmed the longstanding relationship between the two nations.
The meeting offered an opportunity for both sides to further discuss key national priorities, both bilaterally and through the European Union, while reaffirming their shared commitment to stability, cooperation, and sustainable development.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Rabuka highlighted the historical ties between Fiji and France, noting the proud legacy of Fijian service alongside the French Foreign Legion during World War I and the valuable contributions of French Catholic priests to Fiji’s early development.
The PM asserted that since the establishment of Fiji and France’s diplomatic relations in 1970, our partnership has continued to grow stronger, advancing our shared vision for stability, cooperation and prosperity.
For 55 years, France remains a strategic partner for Fiji at the bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels.
On bilateral cooperation, PM Rabuka acknowledged the depth of Fiji-France cooperation in key areas such as climate change and ocean protection, trade, and investment, defense and maritime security, public health, people-to-people exchanges, and humanitarian assistance.
He also welcomed the increasing presence of French companies in Fiji, including TOTAL Energies and BRED Bank, and stressed his full support for continued dialogue and investment between the two nations.
As Fiji looks ahead to the 2025 UN Oceans Conference in Nice, PM Rabuka expressed his gratitude to the French Government for its steadfast support on ocean and climate-related initiatives, including its advocacy for the Pacific’s concerns on the global stage.
Further, the Prime Minister commended France’s alignment with the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy and its significant contributions through regional initiatives, including the KIWA Initiative which supports climate resilience in Fiji and across the Pacific.
Hon. Rabuka concluded by reaffirming Fiji’s commitment to the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent as the key framework guiding regional engagement with partners.
The French Ambassador, in her response, thanked the PM for the opportunity to meet and discuss potential areas for further collaboration, at the same time, reaffirmed France’s commitment to advancing key areas of mutual interest in Fiji and the wider Pacific region.
