MoS Margherita holds bilateral talks with Fiji's Deputy PM Manoa Kamikamica

Minister of State, External Affairs Pabitra Margherita met the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Manoa Kamikamica on Wednesday.

MoS Margherita shared the details of the meeting on X (formerly Twitter).

He said, "Delighted to meet Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for @MCTTTFiji Hon. Manoa Kamikamica @FijiGovernment. Had fruitful discussions on further strengthening our close and special partnership".

The meeting becomes significant as it comes on the heels of the Ministry of External Affairs, signing a Project Implementation Agreement with the International Solar Alliance to operationalize a solar project worth $2 million in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles, according to an official release, on Tuesday.

This development comes after India committed to invest $2 million in new solar projects in these Indo-Pacific countries under the Quad Climate Working Group initiative.

Following the signing of the agreement, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to social media platform X to highlight India's commitment to renewables and just energy transitions in island nations of the Indo-Pacific.

The bilateral relationship between India and Fiji received a major boost after the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Fiji in November 2014, when the First Meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Co-operation (FIPIC) was also held. Over the years, as a major development partner of Fiji, India has been privileged to support Fiji in its nation-building efforts across key sectors and also in the area of capacity building, MEA noted.

The government of India is a committed development partner of Fiji.

According to the MEA, Indian assistance extends to sectors such as capacity building through human resource development and training under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programmes. Every year, numerous ITEC slots are made available to Fijian nationals, while many others benefit from training opportunities and pursuing higher education in India every year under various scholarships offered by the Ministry of AYUSH of India as well as by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

India also provides Humanitarian and Disaster Relief assistance to Fiji from time to time whenever the need arises.

India-Fiji relations are warm and based upon mutual respect, cooperation and strong cultural and people-to-people ties.