Daily Times

Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is now in Fiji for her first official visit to the island nation. According to a Fijian government statement, Fiame on Tuesday met with her Fijian counterpart Voreqe Bainimarama and both sides discussed potential collaboration in mutual priorities, especially in areas of climate change, oceans, economic recovery, trade and investment, and people to people links, among others.

They also shared views on the current global challenges and ways in which the two nations can collaborate to further enhance socioeconomic development in both nations, and promote greater levels of regional cooperation. The two prime ministers also attended the official opening ceremony of the new Samoa High Commission in the Fijian capital city of Suva on Tuesday evening. Fiame said that the decision to join the majority of the Pacific community to set up office in Fiji is a testament of their support for regional unity and cohesion and to be part of the collective dialogues for a deepened regionalism.

She has also endorsed the finalization of a development cooperation memorandum of understanding between Fiji and Samoa, saying that the opportunity to develop and enhance cooperation cannot be missed. Good relations will allow them to pursue many win-win opportunities together and should there be issues, they will handle them in the same constructive spirit and the Pacific way, she added. For his part, Bainimarama said that a more connected Pacific is a more secure Pacific and as a major producer of food and manufactured goods, Fiji is ready to play a much larger role in supporting regional nutrition security, shipping trade and human capital. Fiji and Samoa established diplomatic ties in 1974.