Singapore, Fiji lean on close ties to weather ‘increasingly turbulent’ world

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka have reaffirmed their commitment to deepen ties that have allowed their nations to navigate an “increasingly uncertain and turbulent world”.

“In this increasingly uncertain and turbulent world… it has become more vital than ever for like-minded countries like us to come together – to collaborate for mutual benefit and to uphold the rules-based international order,” PM Wong said during an official lunch he hosted for Mr Rabuka on April 22.

Mr Rabuka is on an official visit to Singapore from April 21 to 23.

In his toast to his Fijian counterpart, PM Wong noted that Singapore and Fiji have much in common.

Both are small island states and gateways to their respective regions, and they also share a common belief in the importance of international law, multilateralism and free trade, he said.

The two nations also have “diverse and multicultural societies, with a belief in the values of mutual respect, inclusivity and cooperation for the common good”, he added.

PM Wong said Singapore and Fiji would continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas like trade, investment and connectivity.

“We also agreed to expand our collaboration in climate resilience and human capital development,” he said.

He said Singapore and Fiji, as small island developing states, are vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

“That is why we are both pushing for more global action, including at multilateral forums – like the Forum of Small States and the Alliance of Small Island States – to amplify our collective voice,” he added.

PM Wong also pledged that Singapore will support Fiji’s human capital development.

Singapore has over the past 30 years shared its development experience with more than 6,200 Pacific officials – 1,500 of whom have come from Fiji – under the Singapore Cooperation Programme.

“Through this and other customised courses, we will continue to offer capacity-building programmes in areas like digital transformation and good governance, or other areas that Fiji would like us to focus on,” said PM Wong.

‘Outsized impact’

Singapore was admitted as a dialogue partner of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in 2022.

PM Wong said the Republic supports the PIF’s Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, launched under Fiji’s leadership.

This strategy treats the Pacific as a single region with a shared culture, and facing the same challenges. It focuses on regional cooperation across seven areas that include peace and security, climate change and disasters, technology and connectivity, and human rights.

“Our Singapore-Pacific Resilience and Knowledge Sharing package was specially tailored to complement this strategy and supports the Pacific’s priorities in areas like climate resilience, cyber security and international law,” he said.

This is Mr Rabuka’s second visit to Singapore. During his first visit in 1998, an orchid was named after him.

“The orchid continues to thrive today,” PM Wong said. “It is a fitting symbol of the friendship between our two countries and how it has grown and blossomed since we first established ties in 1971.”

PM Wong said he hopes to welcome even more Fijian and Pacific officials to Singapore.

“Individually, our countries are small. But by working together, both bilaterally and with the rest of the Pacific, we can make an outsized impact in the areas that matter most to us.”