India, Fiji unveil action plan to boost defence ties

India and Fiji on Monday firmed up a broad action plan to ramp up defence ties and vowed to work jointly for a peaceful Indo-Pacific following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka.

India and Fiji may be oceans apart, but our aspirations sail in the same boat, Modi said with the Fijian leader by his side.

Rabuka arrived in Delhi on Sunday on a three-day trip. It is his first visit to India in his capacity as the Prime



Minister of the South Pacific nation. Fiji is an important nation for India in the sphere of maritime security. 

India has been looking at expanding its defence ties with Fiji against the backdrop of China’s relentless efforts to expand its strategic heft in the Pacific region.

Following the talks between Modi and Rabuka, the two sides inked seven pacts providing for enhancing cooperation in a range of areas, including medicine, skill development, trade and capacity building.