Prime Minister Receives Courtesy Call from the New Ambassador of Austria to Fiji
12/04/2022
Prime Minister receives courtesy call from Deputy Assistant to the President and United States National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator
21/04/2022Published On: 21/04/2022
The Fijian Government and Pacific Community (SPC) have pledged unwavering commitment and partnership for the advancement of a more resilient and sustainable future for Fiji and the Pacific region.
This was reinforced during the courtesy call to the Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs, Mr Yogesh Karan, from the Director-General of the Pacific Community (SPC), Dr Stuart Minchin.
At the meeting held yesterday (20/04/22) at the office of the Prime Minister, discussions focused on current areas of engagement and the way forward to strengthen partnership between the Fijian Government and SPC.
PS Karan acknowledged SPC’s timely support to Fiji and the region during times of great need, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He commended SPC for the strategic approach taken to develop Fiji’s Country Programme, tailored to Fiji’s national priorities and national development framework. He assured the Fijian Government’s support for this new initiative, which will broaden the scope of programmes aimed at the empowerment of communities in Fiji and the region.
PS Karan reaffirmed the Fijian Government’s commitment to regional solidarity in addressing common challenges and exploring opportunities for resilient recovery from climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The importance of the 2050 Strategy for a Blue Pacific Continent in the advancement of regional prosperity was highlighted at the meeting. PS Karan thanked the SPC Secretariat for their valuable contribution towards the progress of this important Strategy for the Pacific region.
He extended the Fijian Government’s appreciation to Dr Minchin for his leadership and commitment to Fiji and the region, with assurances of the Fijian Government’s support to elevate cooperation in mutual interests.
Dr Minchin said, “SPC enjoys strong support from the Government of Fiji as host country to SPC’s biggest regional office.
“We commit to working together to maximise development opportunities for Pacific Island countries and territories as we face the manifest challenges of climate change disasters and COVID-19 recovery in our region.”
The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, proudly supporting development since 1947. It is an international development organisation owned and governed by 27 countries and territory members and it supports sustainable development by applying a people-centred approach to research, science, and technology across all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
