India and Fiji are looking to expand cooperation in environmental sustainability, digital communications and public sector training following talks between the Indian High Commissioner to Fiji, Suneet Mehta, and Fiji’s Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya.
Minister Tabuya also briefed the High Commissioner on Fiji’s preparations for a pre-COP climate meeting scheduled for later this year and extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend and take part in the discussions.
The meeting in Suva on 10 March also focused on strengthening collaboration in areas including climate initiatives, waste management, technology and capacity building.
During the discussions, High Commissioner Mehta said 2026 could be a more significant year for bilateral engagement, particularly through technical partnerships and knowledge sharing.
He pointed to India’s advances in technology, innovation and development, suggesting Fiji could draw on India’s experience and best practices in these fields.
Training opportunities for Fijian officials were also highlighted. According to the High Commissioner, more than 900 Fijian civil servants have taken part in programmes under India’s Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative since 2014, helping build skills across a range of government sectors.
Minister Tabuya emphasised the need for government communications staff to develop broader multimedia capabilities, saying communication officers increasingly needed to produce content across multiple digital platforms.
She indicated Fiji was interested in exploring training support from India to help strengthen the digital and multimedia skills of government media teams.
India’s development initiatives were also discussed during the meeting, including the Swachh Bharat Mission, a national sanitation campaign aimed at improving cleanliness and waste management. Officials suggested Fiji could examine aspects of the programme as it looks to strengthen its own environmental and sanitation efforts.
Fiji’s Environment and Climate Change Ministry permanent secretary Dr Sivendra Michael outlined plans to establish an environmental laboratory to enhance monitoring and research capabilities. High Commissioner Mehta indicated India was open to exploring technical assistance to support the initiative.
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