Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met today with the non-resident Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Fiji, His Excellency Ard van der Vorst, to discuss areas of mutual interest and reaffirm the long-standing diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Fiji and the Netherlands have maintained diplomatic relations since 1972, with ongoing collaboration in areas such as climate change, peacekeeping, and sustainable development, particularly through multilateral platforms like the United Nations.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Rabuka expressed appreciation for the Netherlands’ support, particularly through European Union-backed programs focused on education, agriculture, fisheries, disaster risk reduction, and climate resilience. He also commended both nations’ contributions to international peacekeeping as a reflection of shared values on global stability.

The Prime Minister briefed Ambassador van der Vorst on Fiji’s “Ocean of Peace” initiative; an emerging regional concept that seeks to position the Pacific as a zone of peace and shared responsibility on global issues such as security and climate change.

Rabuka noted the increasing number of Fijian students pursuing higher education in the Netherlands and emphasised the importance of strengthening people-to-people connections. He also highlighted opportunities for expanded trade, investment, and private sector engagement between the two countries.

Ambassador van der Vorst thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to meet and reiterated the Netherlands’ commitment to working with Fiji and Pacific nations on sustainable development, good governance, education, gender equality, and climate action.

The discussion concluded with a shared commitment to deepening both bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Fiji and the Netherlands.