Pabitra Margherita, India’s Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, will undertake an official visit to New Zealand and Fiji from 8 to 12 May 2025, as part of India’s growing engagement with the Pacific region.
During his two-day visit to New Zealand (8–9 May), Margherita is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with key political leaders and engage with business leaders and members of the Indian diaspora in Auckland.
In Fiji, the Minister will be the Guest of Honour at the 3rd Girmit Day ceremony, commemorating the arrival of Indian indentured labourers to the island nation. He is also expected to meet Fijian political leaders during his visit.
India’s relationship with the Pacific region has seen steady growth through consistent diplomatic outreach and economic partnerships. Margherita’s visit aims to further strengthen these bilateral ties.
Recently, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Prof. Biman Prasad, in a statement on Facebook has outlined the depth of recent diplomatic engagement between the Fiji and India, citing over 20 ministerial visits from Fiji to India and several high-level Indian delegations visiting Fiji in the last two years.
These include the visit of India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar in February 2023 and the presence of a State Minister for External Affairs during Girmit Day celebrations in May 2023.
Prof. Prasad also pointed to the historic visit of the President of India to Fiji, where she was conferred the nation’s highest honour, and the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Papua New Guinea, where the latter announced a 100-bed super-specialty hospital for Fiji.
A Member of the Rajya Sabha since April 2022, Margherita was sworn in as Union Minister of State on 9 June 2024 and assumed charge of both External Affairs and Textiles portfolios on 11 June 2024.
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