India News : Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a four-day official visit, accompanied by his wife Suluweti Rabuka. Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, welcomed the dignitaries at the airport. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the update on social media platform X, stating that the visit will further strengthen India-Fiji ties across multiple sectors.
PM Rabuka’s visit will span from August 24 to 27. Notably, in January 2025, during a meeting with Indian MP Satnam Singh Sandhu and IMF founder Professor Himani Sood, Rabuka had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “the boss of the world.” He had also endorsed the governance philosophy “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” as a model for inclusive development.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Rabuka is scheduled to meet with an Indian Cabinet Minister today. On August 25, he will pay floral tributes at Rajghat and then meet PM Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House. The leaders will witness the exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) followed by a joint press statement. Later, Rabuka will meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
On August 26, the Fijian leader will deliver a lecture at Sapru House, hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). The official visit will conclude with his departure from Delhi on August 27.
India and Fiji share longstanding and friendly bilateral ties rooted in history, culture, and a strong Indian diaspora. Relations date back to 1879, when indentured Indian laborers (Girmitiyas) were brought to Fiji to work on sugarcane plantations. Between 1879 and 1916, around 60,553 Indians migrated to Fiji under this system. By the early 20th century, Indian traders and other settlers also moved to the island nation. The indenture system ended in 1920. India appointed a Commissioner to Fiji in 1948, which was upgraded to High Commissioner status following Fiji’s independence in 1970.
