Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Fiji will continue to strengthen its relationship in areas of mutual interests for the common prosperity and sustainable development.
The commitment was articulated today at a courtesy call meeting received by the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Lesikimacuata Korovavala from the new Resident Representative of the Fiji JICA Office, Mr. Wakasugi Satoshi.
At the introductory meeting held at the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PS Korovavala and Mr. Satoshi discussed potential areas to deepen the JICA-Fiji cooperation.
PS Korovavala thanked JICA for its ongoing assistance to Fiji through infrastructure projects, funding for Disaster Recovery and Rehabilitation, technical assistance in Disaster Risk Reduction and programs contributing to Fiji’s socio-economic development.
JICA has dispatched 753 volunteers to Fiji since the inception of our cooperation in July 1983. JICA has also provided opportunities for Fijians to pursue scholarships at Japanese Universities.
Bachelor, Master and PhD level studies are offered under the SDGs Global Leaders Program (Known as Pacific-LEADS), a program which was committed at the 7th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM-7) in 2015. To date, 45 students have been dispatched from Fiji under the programme.
JICA’s assistance towards Fiji is aimed at three (3) target sectors: strengthening of the basis of economic growth; climate change and environmental management and the provision of quality social services.
This is the 39th year of JICA’s bilateral cooperation with Fiji, in terms of economic and social development.
The JICA Fiji Office also covers Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue and Tuvalu. JICA also has offices in Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu and a field office in Kiribati.
