New Delhi [India], August 26 (ANI): India and Fiji on Monday signed the Declaration of Intent on Migration and Mobility, recognising 'people-to-people ties as a natural foundation, with possibility in several sectors including agriculture, fisheries, construction and tourism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka held talks here and the two countries decided to expand their ties across a range of areas including defence and cricket.

Addressing a special media briefing after meeting between the two leaders, Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South) in Ministry of External Affairs said that there are several areas of immense potential of cooperation between the two countries.

'I think in the area of agriculture, if you notice in Fiji, where people from India had gone as indentured labour for sugar plantations. Now, their sugar industry is going down. In fact, it is happening in many small island developing states that the agriculture sector is not very prominent anymore, whereas people had gone there as indentured labour for sugarcane plantations, for cocoa plantations, etc. But over the years, tourism has evolved so much that the entire focus is on tourism. In some island countries, you have oil and gas like Trinidad and Tobago, so they are more focused on that. So there is an over-dependence on tourism. So that is why the other sectors of the economy have not developed very well,' she said.

She said in several countries post-COVID, tourism took a big hit and they are trying to diversify their economies, and are looking for skilled labour and skilled professionals from abroad.

'So agriculture is an area where we see enormous possibilities. We already have an MoU on agriculture with them. We are supplying agriculture drones, as is listed in the joint statement. And that is an area which we consider as an area of our strength. And Fiji has a very conducive climate. There is plenty of rainfall. And as of now, the agriculture is very, very limited. So I definitely see a lot of possibilities for our entrepreneurs, for joint ventures, etc. And they have the possibility of leasing the land. And there is a possibility of contract farming. We also discussed today the possibility of natural farming, etc. So there are a lot of possibilities in that sector,' she said.

The senior MEA official said Fiji is planning to have a new airport.

'They are planning to have another port. They are also planning to construct tourism-related infrastructure. There are not enough hotels in that country. So that is another area where we see a lot of possibility. Tourism-related infrastructure also has possibilities because it's a country which has nearly 9,28,000 people, but it receives over 1 million tourists per annum. It's more than their population. The majority of the tourists are from Australia and also New Zealand and USA, but there's not much tourist traffic from India to Fiji. So there's a possibility of, say, Fiji's development as a wedding destination, Fiji's development as a destination for our Bollywood. So, there are a lot of possibility in the tourism sector,' she said.

'Similarly, in the fishery sector as well. They have, some possibilities for tuna processing. In fact, India imports tuna from Fiji, but fisheries as an industry hasn't developed that much. I think we are really a big power in fisheries nowadays. We are the largest in the shrimp production. We are also venturing into pearl farming, which is a very promising area for the South Sea countries because South Sea pearls, as we know, are world famous' she added.

Neena Malhotra said Fiji does some pearl farming, but on a very small scale and that is an area of cooperation.

'They have a lot of corals, but they export raw corals, and there's no coral jewellery, etc. So those are the allied kind of sectors where there's a lot of possibility'.

The joint statement said that PM Modi and His Fiji counterpart acknowledged the growing momentum in bilateral defence ties. They emphasized the importance of their shared interests in advancing regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to advancing the priority areas of cooperation outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed in 2017, and to supporting Fiji's strategic priorities in these areas. The Leaders welcomed the outcomes of the inaugural Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence, including enhanced cooperation in areas such as United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO), Military Medicine, White Shipping Information Exchange (WSIE), and capacity building for Republic of Fiji Military Forces.

The Leaders expressed satisfaction with the ongoing defence collaboration and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen these ties, emphasising the need to enhance defence and maritime security cooperation. Prime Minister Rabuka stressed the significance of ensuring security of Fiji's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and welcomed India's assurance to extend assistance to meet the security needs of the Republic of Fiji. Prime Minister Rabuka welcomed the planned port call by an Indian Naval Ship to Fiji which will enhance maritime cooperation and interoperability.

Both Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening defence cooperation through new initiatives aimed at accelerating bilateral defence efforts and designed to promote mutual benefits and advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. Prime Minister Modi announced the gifting of two ambulances to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the establishment of the defence wing in the High Commission of India in Suva. In view of cyber security being an emerging area of cooperation between both countries, the Leaders welcomed the establishment of Cyber Security Training Cell (CSTC) in Fiji. They emphasized the significant potential for collaboration on addressing current and emerging challenges, particularly in the maritime, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and technology sectors.

The Leaders underscored the importance of a free, open, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. They announced their intent to collaborate on strengthening regional maritime security, contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

The Leaders stressed on the growing sports connections between both countries, especially the increasing enthusiasm for cricket in Fiji and for rugby in India. At the request of Fiji, an Indian cricket coach will support the Fiji cricket teams through local talent development, thus promoting youth engagement in sports. (ANI)