Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a four-day official visit, accompanied by his spouse Suluweti Rabuka.
He was received at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by Union Minister of State for Education and DoNER, Sukanta Majumdar.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed the visiting leader in a post on X, noting that the visit would further strengthen India-Fiji ties. “Warm welcome to PM Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji on his first visit. The visit will further deepen the India-Fiji partnership across diverse sectors,” Jaiswal said.
According to the MEA, Rabuka’s visit will run from August 24–27. On August 25, he will lay a wreath at Rajghat before holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, which will include the signing of MoUs and joint press statements. He will also call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
On August 26, the Fijian leader is scheduled to deliver a lecture at Sapru House, organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs, before departing New Delhi on August 27.
The visit comes against the backdrop of recent high-level exchanges between India and Fiji. The two nations share longstanding historical ties, dating back to 1879 when Indian labourers, known as ‘Girmitiyas,’ were brought to Fiji under the indenture system to work on sugarcane plantations. Around 60,553 Indians migrated between 1879 and 1916, shaping the cultural and social fabric of Fiji.
