Visa free travel between Russia and Fiji is expected in the future to promote tourism and the Russian Federation is also offering to support Fiji’s contributions to peacekeeping missions around the world.
Vijay Narayan reports:
Concrete next-step proposals will now be created as Fiji formally strengthens its ties with the Russian Federation.
Following the a half-day of talks with Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama and Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola yesterday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Pacific region is today the priority of foreign policy for the Russian Federation.
As Lavrov continues his meetings with the Pacific Foreign Ministers gathered in Nadi, Kubuabola said Fiji is the hub of the Pacific but it is a part of the global community.
He said Fiji must expand its horizons to new friends and opportunities.
While responding to a question about the new US policy focus on the Asia Pacific region, Lavrov said the region is becoming a powerhouse of the world economy and with economic influence comes political influence.
He said the interests witnessed in the region create some risks to security referring to nuclearisation on the Korean peninsula among other issues.
In his statement after the first high level visit from a Russian official, Lavrov said that we should all approach security in the region in an open way on the basis of respect for each other to ensure against ‘creating problems’.
He said Russia and the Pacific have a common understanding that the priority of the day are the programs and projects that will drive growth and make the economics of the Pacific region even more independent.
The Russian Minister said Russia seeks to find partners in the region and it would like to cooperate in a mutually beneficial manner in order to promote Russia’s ties with the Pacific.
Lavrov stressed that Russia is not making friends against anybody.
The meeting continues in Nadi today.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
Feature
Fiji and Russia to strengthen ties
