Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita met Fiji’s Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development Esrom Immanuel in New Delhi on Tuesday, holding discussions on bilateral relations, shared priorities and potential cooperation in digital infrastructure.
According to Margherita, the talks covered the full spectrum of India–Fiji bilateral relations, including development partnership initiatives, capacity-building efforts and ongoing cooperation in digital infrastructure. He noted that the meeting reviewed existing collaboration and explored future directions for engagement between the two countries.
The minister shared details of the interaction on social media platform X, describing the discussions as productive and focused on strengthening ties while examining areas of mutual interest, particularly development cooperation and digital infrastructure initiatives.
The meeting comes amid continued diplomatic engagement between India and Fiji in recent weeks. On February 2, India’s High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mehta held talks with Fiji Parliament Speaker Filimone Jitoko, where discussions centred on strengthening parliamentary relations and exploring avenues for further bilateral cooperation.
Following that interaction, India’s High Commission in Fiji said the discussions reaffirmed strong parliamentary ties and highlighted opportunities to advance cooperation between the two nations. The diplomatic mission described the meeting as part of ongoing efforts to reinforce institutional engagement.
Earlier, on January 27, Mehta chaired the second meeting of the Project Steering Committee reviewing the Quick Impact Project (QIP) titled the Tubalevu Ground Water Supply Project, which is supported by India. Representatives from multiple Fijian government ministries, including Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Finance and Public Works, attended the session.
According to the Indian High Commission in Fiji, work on the project has already begun. The initiative is intended to improve water supply for residents of Tubalevu, while also contributing to broader cooperation between the two countries in development-related sectors.
Prior to that, on January 19, Mehta held a separate meeting with Esrom Immanuel in Fiji. The interaction focused on strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation across areas of mutual interest. The High Commission characterised those discussions as constructive and aimed at advancing engagement between the two sides.
India and Fiji maintain relations rooted in mutual respect, cooperation and longstanding cultural and people-to-people connections. These ties have developed through sustained diplomatic exchanges, development assistance initiatives and capacity-building programmes over the years.
The bilateral partnership received a notable boost following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014. During that visit, the first meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was also held, providing a platform for broader engagement between India and Pacific Island nations.
Indian diplomatic sources have indicated that India has supported Fiji’s nation-building efforts across several sectors, including capacity development initiatives. Cooperation has included development projects and technical engagement designed to strengthen institutional and infrastructure capabilities.
Tuesday’s ministerial talks in New Delhi reflect the continuation of diplomatic dialogue between the two countries, with both sides reviewing ongoing partnerships and exploring opportunities for further cooperation, particularly in development initiatives and digital infrastructure collaboration.
