PM Rabuka eyes Israel help in war on drugs

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Fiji will benefit immensely from the presence of Israel in Fiji through development and tackling organised crime threats.

“We believe that there is significant potential to expand our engagement beyond traditional areas into new places emerging field where Israel’s technology, where Israel has globally recognised expertise and the Fiji has growing national demand, they just dovetail very well together,” Mr Rabuka said.

“These include cooperation in health, digital transformation, cybersecurity, where strengthening resilience and protecting critical national systems is important.”

Mr Rabuka said there was opportunity for Fiji and the region to benefit in areas such as agriculture and food security, “We recognise the importance of security cooperation, including institutional linkages and capacity building that support national and regional stability.

And Fiji’s fight against illicit drugs, transnational organized crime will benefit from Israel’s depth of knowledge and technology-based solutions.”

Mr Rabuka said the Pacific Islands Forum welcomed constructive international partnerships that support peace, stability and sustainable development in the Pacific. Minister for Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar said the opening of the embassy clearly expressed Israel’s intent to deepen friendship with Fiji and the Pacific Island countries.

“Your bold decision reflects your friendship, moral leadership and deep connection to the Holy Land.”

Mr Sa’ar said Israel was opening new embassies to deepen relationships and expand outreach, emphasizing that the new embassy would serve as a springboard for the Pacific.

“My foreign policy is we invest in our friends and Fiji is a true friend of Israel. We appreciate Fiji’s friendship and support in multilateral forums. We want to share Israel’s innovation and knowledge with Fiji in agriculture, water, energy, technology and more.

“We also view the Pacific region as strategic, a friendly area with huge potential. We want to deepen our connections and investment here.”

Israel offer

Israel has offered Fiji various options in areas of cooperation following the opening of Israel’s new embassy in Suva yesterday.

Israel’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar did not give any indication of the value of any technical support in agriculture, technology, security or defense, but assured his country’s commitment in collaboration.

“We have a history here in this country. We train here and also in Israel, many people from Fiji in the past. Now we have come with a book. I gave the book to the Prime Minister and Fiji will choose,” he said.

“Now we have an embassy here. We will be able to do things more rapidly that will work. And I also instruct them on a new (Israeli) development agency here in Fiji. So, I’m very optimistic that this golden era that Prime Minister has spoken about will be implemented by contents which will benefit our both nations.”

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said there would be negotiations, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on areas Fiji needed assistance on, including the current drug crisis.

“As we move along, we will show them these are the problem and through their own diplomats here who will be communicating with our foreign affairs officer.”

Mr Rabuka assured Fiji that the opening of the embassy did not signal the militarisation of Fiji or the Pacific, but instead Fiji’s development.

“They are capable of giving us the development we need. Right now, we have some young people undergoing training in Israel. There’s are a lot of our people who have had the benefit of the hospitality of the people and state of Israel over the years through peacekeeping.

“So, I give you my assurance that this government will not move into militarizing this relationship and it will go against what we are trying to do - that is the Ocean of Peace.”