Japan offers reasserted its strong assistance towards the Fiji Government’s initiatives in advancing our economic climate particularly, in the tourism market, and trade and purchase sector. A positive outcome of this particular cooperation will soon view the resumption of direct flights between Nadi and Narita, from April, 2023. He highlighted that Fiji looks forward to further conditioning relations with Japan in the key areas of socioeconomic development. He said Japan’s assistance to Fiji is in series with the five priority places as agreed upon at the PALM9 in 2021. These are namely (1) COVID-19 Response plus Recovery; (2) Sustainable Seas based on the Rule of Regulation; (3) Climate Change plus Disaster Resilience; (4) Building up the Foundation for Sustainable plus Resilient Economic Development; and (5) People-to-People Exchanges and Human Resource Development. Fiji’s ongoing cooperation with the The japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and support provided in times of natural disasters and COVID-19, was also acknowledged. “I expect that the resumption of the direct flights should also be taken as an opportunity to encourage Japanese companies to invest in Fiji, in areas of the tourism market and beyond. ” “From the first PALM graciously attended by the Honourable Prime Minister Rabuka in 1997 until today, Japan has jointly built consensus with the Pacific Leaders with the PALM dialogue on priority areas of assistance that meet the needs of the countries, ” he said. On regional assistance, Prime Minister Rabuka thanked the Japanese Government for supporting the Pacific region, with the Pacific Island Leaders Conference (PALM) process and its commitment for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific. ” In his response, Ambassador Fumihiro congratulated Prime Minister Rabuka for the latest elections and he asserted Japan’s commitment to working with the coalition Government. Prime Minister Rabuka thanked the Government and the people of Japan for their tremendous contributions to Fiji and the Pacific, over the years. “We have provided medium to long-term support based on the spirit of our contracts with the Pacific Leaders. “With respect to economic recovery, we would like to support the development of travel and leisure, which is the premier industry of the Fijian Economy. This will boost tourism earnings, and create employment as well as unfold new investment leads for Fiji. Japan’s assistance was conveyed Thursday (26/1/2023) afternoon to the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka, at an introductory courtesy call from the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Fiji, His Excellency Mr. Kawakami Fumihiro. “In yesteryear two years, Japan has concentrated its assistance to Fiji at the response and recovery from COVID-19. As Fiji has entered the post-pandemic stage, from among the five priority areas, we would like to focus read more about climate change and disaster management as well as human resource development, including education and vocational training, ” Ambassador Fumihiro said. Ambassador Fumihiro added; “The highest number of Japan visitor arrivals to date was around 45, 000 in 1995, when the Honourable Leading Minister Rabuka was in Workplace, during his first stint as the Leader of Fiji. There is still room to improve the number of Japanese tourists to Fiji”. “From this particular coming April, Fiji Air passage will resume direct plane tickets between Nadi and Narita. The number of Japanese visitors to Fiji in 2019, before the pandemic, was around 15, 500, compared to just 854 in 2022. ” He mentioned Japan looks forward in order to formulating concrete support projects through close communication with Prime Minister Rabuka and the new Fiji Government.
