India, Fiji seek to deepen defence ties, expand maritime and military training cooperation
New Delhi, Sep 28. India and Fiji have agreed to expand bilateral defence cooperation, with a focus on military training, maritime security, cyber capabilities and defence industry collaboration, at the second India-Fiji Bilateral Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting held in New Delhi.
The two sides reviewed a broad range of areas of mutual interest, including capacity building, service-to-service engagements, cyber training and greater institutional cooperation between their armed forces.
India reiterated the importance it attaches to Fiji and the Pacific Island countries as part of its vision for a free, open, inclusive and secure Indo-Pacific. Both sides expressed satisfaction over the expanding defence engagement and reaffirmed their commitment to identifying additional areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
The meeting, held on September 28, was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence, and Mason Smith, Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs of Fiji.
Smith also held discussions with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on the sidelines of the meeting. The talks focused on strengthening bilateral defence and maritime cooperation, including opportunities for expanding collaboration in the defence industry.
As part of efforts to develop specialised military training, the Fijian delegation is scheduled to visit Kochi on September 29-30. During the visit, the delegation will inspect facilities under the Southern Naval Command with a view to formalising advanced naval training and professional aviation training modules.
The proposed training cooperation is aimed at enhancing technical skills and operational coordination between the two maritime forces.
Ahead of the bilateral discussions, Smith paid tribute to Indian soldiers who died in service at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
The Fijian delegation also visited DPSU Bhavan at the World Trade Centre, where it was briefed on India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities. The visit showcased developments under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) initiative, including defence equipment displays and advanced Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality simulation facilities designed to replicate battlefield conditions.
India and Fiji share longstanding ties rooted in historical, cultural and people-to-people connections. The latest JWG meeting provided an institutional platform to review existing defence cooperation and identify new areas for engagement.
Both sides agreed to maintain regular consultations and work towards further strengthening their bilateral defence partnership.
