Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will visit New Zealand this week, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.

“Prime Minister Rabuka officially visited New Zealand in 1998, over 25 years ago, and we look forward to welcoming him here once again,” Chris Hipkins said.

“New Zealand and Fiji have a long standing relationship, based on close cooperation in areas of mutual interest like climate change, and ensuring a safe, secure and economically prosperous region pacific region.

“While we were together in Papua New Guinea recently, it was clear Prime Minister Rabuka was highly respected and influential not just in Fiji, but also across the wider Pacific region.

“I’m looking forward to building on our discussions there, and reaffirming New Zealand’s support as a trusted friend and bilateral partner to Fiji.

“Our countries share a strong focus on Pacific regionalism, including upholding Pacific Islands Forum unity; resuming financial support for the University of South Pacific; and working with other traditional partners, such as Australia, on defence and security matters.

“We’re also cooperating closely to address climate change and its impacts. Both New Zealand and Fiji are not strangers to the devastating impacts of climate change, and I again want to thank Fiji for their support in our response to Cyclone Gabrielle,” said Chris Hipkins.

“I’m also confident we’ll be discussing our long history of close sporting, cultural, and people-to-people links and the work we are doing alongside the Fiji Government in the spirit of our Duavata Partnership agreement,” Chris Hipkins said.

While in New Zealand, Prime Minister Rabuka will undertake a series of formal engagements in Auckland and Wellington, including bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Hipkins, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister for Climate Change James Shaw, and a ceremonial visit to the National War Memorial and Pacific War Memorial Te Reo Hotunui o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, at Pukeahu.

Complementing this, Prime Minister Rabuka’s programme also includes a number of community events, coordinated by the Fiji High Commission in New Zealand.

Prime Minister Rabuka arrived in New Zealand on Monday 5 June and departs Thursday 8 June 2023. He will be hosted as a Guest of Government.

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