Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has called on the nation that it is a time to put politics aside and celebrate the things that bind us together as Fijians our love for our nation, our love of God and our love for each other.
While giving his message on our 45th anniversary of Independence, Bainimarama says once again, the whole nation has come together to celebrate Fiji Day.
Bainimarama says the great test we must set for our nation as we move towards the 50th anniversary of our Independence is that no Fijian should be left behind.
He says he is convinced that if we can take everyone with us on our journey forward, nothing can stop us from achieving greatness.
He has urged every Fijian to embrace the concept of unity, of one nation and to work as a team in the five years leading up to the anniversary of our half century of Independence in 2020.
Bainimarama says that he has had the privilege to see Fijian teamwork up close as he lent his support to the Flying Fijians in their campaign for the Rugby World Cup.
He says the Flying Fijians were up against the greatest teams in world rugby and while they were beaten in some of the deciding games, their performance on and off the field was truly inspirational and a source of pride for every Fijian.
The Prime Minister says they established once and for all that Fiji - a small island nation with none of the wealth of its principal competitors - is now one of the greats of world rugby.
He has appealed to the whole nation to learn from the teamwork that we have seen on the rugby field in recent weeks.
