Ann-yeong-haseyo, Ni sa bula vinaka, and greetings to you all.

My wife Sarote and I, and our delegation, are most honoured to meet with you and to join you in a Fiji Day luncheon today.

From the outset, I wish to acknowledge the coordination by Ambassador Filimone Kau and our diplomats based here in Seoul.

I also acknowledge the presence of our friends from this great country of the Republic of Korea, many of whom have significant business interests in Fiji.

I thank you for the very informative briefing on your respective projects in Fiji, in this past hour, and I reiterate my best wishes that your projects will be implemented successfully for our mutual benefit.

Your contribution to Fiji’s economy is most appreciated as it complements our two countries’ diplomatic relations which was established 45 years ago, just one year after Fiji became an independent and sovereign nation in 1970.

I am advised that the Republic of Korea had exported to Fiji goods and services worth US$321Million in 2015 alone. South Korea had also imported goods and services from Fiji worth US$3.8Million for the same period.

South Korea is the first country outside of the European Union, and the only country in East Asia, to import raw sugar from Fiji.

This is an important development in as far as Fiji’s sugar industry and livelihoods are concerned.

South Korea’s direct investments in Fiji by the end of 2013 was valued at US$73.3Million, and growing.

South Korea has also provided assistance in the development of niche sectors such as agriculture, energy, trade, investments, education and health. These have been facilitated largely through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

It is also very pleasing to note the increasing number of Koreans who have chosen to make Fiji their second home – there are about 1,000 of your fellow citizens in Fiji. And we will continue to welcome many more.

I make mention of these improving relations between our two countries because it means a lot for Fiji as a small Pacific Islands developing nation.

Since 1970, Fiji has steadily advanced as a leading Pacific nation, and today we stand as the hub of development in the Pacific and a model for small island states across the world.

We are now two years into our first term of government under a genuine parliamentary democracy of equal votes of equal value.

And our nation’s development over these two years should be a point of pride for every Fijian. Few countries of our size can claim the international respect and prestige that Fiji enjoys today.

In 2013, for instance, Fiji chaired the Group of 77 Plus China, which is the largest voting bloc within the United Nations with 134 member countries.

This year, Fiji has taken on the chairmanship of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. This is the first for any small islands developing state and especially for any Pacific Islands country.

In all these, we are very grateful to our friends in the international community, including especially the support from countries like the Republic of Korea.

At the domestic front, we are now in our seventh straight year of economic growth – a record for our country.

Access to essential services, such as electricity and water, is spreading throughout the country like never before. And our people are more deeply connected to each other and to the world than ever before.

This past year has been a year of burdens and triumphs for our people, but whether we were overcoming challenges or celebrating victory, we have drawn strength and confidence from the knowledge that we are unified and on an unstoppable journey of progress.

Our belief in ourselves and in our future has not just sustained us, it has given us energy and strength.

In February of this year, our shores were ravaged by the destructive force of Cyclone Winston, the strongest cyclone to ever make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere.

The damage wrought upon Fiji is well-known – 44 lives taken, thousands of homes destroyed and tens of thousands of our people severely affected. But while this was certainly a blow, every day we are reclaiming what we have lost in the storm.

And I want to reiterate Fiji’s sincere gratitude to all our development partners from abroad who helped us in the recovery process.

On 11 August of this year, a date that will go down in Fijian history for all time, our Sevens gladiators made an unforgettable mark on the international stage by rolling over competition from much-larger and much-wealthier nations to secure Fiji’s first-ever Olympic Gold medal.

The Team showed what Fijians are made of, and we proved that success draws strength from the heart and the soul, not from the pocketbook. And Fijians have a great deal of heart.

Our entire nation erupted in celebration, and the eyes of the world were on Fiji as we showed our passion and love for the game of rugby.

In my time, I have never seen a greater display of unity in Fiji or a greater display of camaraderie. And it is something I won’t ever forget.

Our Sevens victory and the destruction of Cyclone Winston were the true high and low points experienced over the past year.

But as we saw, our spirit of unity stayed with us throughout.

In our own lives and in our communities, we also experience highs and lows. Things may not always go our way, in our community, in our nation, or in our homes. And other times we may be very blessed.

But it is very important that we always look out for one another, that we share our successes with our neighbours and friends when times are good, and that we work together with them when our backs are against the wall.

That is the spirit that built Fiji into what it is today, and that is the spirit that will carry us, soaring, into the future.

To our Fiji citizens who are either studying or working in South Korea, I encourage you to be exemplary representatives of Fiji.

Learn as much as you can and return to Fiji to help with our development. You have seen how developed and modern the Republic of Korea is and I encourage you to help with Fiji’s modernizing process.

I thank you all once again for this opportunity to briefly address you, and I wish you all a very happy Fiji Day!

God bless you all and God bless the Republic of Korea and Fiji!

Kamsahmnida, Vinaka Vakalevu, and Thank You.