New Delhi, August 21(HS): In what is being hailed as a significant milestone in India–Fiji relations, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, will undertake a three-day official visit to India from August 24 to 26, 2025, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be Prime Minister Rabuka’s maiden trip to India in his current capacity and is expected to deepen the strategic, developmental, and cultural linkages between the two countries.

Prime Minister Rabuka will arrive in New Delhi on August 24, accompanied by his spouse, Ms. Sulueti Rabuka, Fiji’s Minister of Health and Medical Services, Mr. Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, and a high-level delegation of senior officials.

On August 25, he will hold wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House, covering areas of cooperation such as climate change, development partnership, healthcare, digital initiatives, and people-to-people exchanges. Following their talks, Prime Minister Modi will host a ceremonial luncheon in honor of the visiting dignitary.

During the visit, Prime Minister Rabuka will pay a courtesy call on the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. The meeting carries special resonance, following Rashtrapatiji’s visit to Fiji in August 2024, which had set a new benchmark in bilateral engagements.

Adding a diplomatic and intellectual touchpoint to his itinerary, Prime Minister Rabuka is also slated to deliver a keynote address titled “Ocean of Peace” at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi, underscoring the Pacific region’s growing significance in global geopolitics and highlighting Fiji’s role as an advocate of maritime harmony.

India and Fiji share strong historical and cultural ties, cemented by a vibrant diaspora and decades of developmental partnership. The visit, officials say, is designed not only to reaffirm these enduring bonds but also to chart new pathways of collaboration across sectors such as trade, renewable energy, education, health, and technology.

Diplomatic observers note that Rabuka’s visit reflects Fiji’s recognition of India’s growing global profile, and India’s increasing outreach to the Pacific Island nations under its “Act East” and “SAGAR” (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policies.

As the curtain rises on this high-profile visit, much attention will be on how New Delhi and Suva leverage their historical goodwill into a forward-looking partnership that speaks to the aspirations of both peoples—and to the shared vision of peace, prosperity, and stability across the Indo-Pacific.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar