Prime Minister Hon. Voreqe Bainimarama has sent a congratulatory message to the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Hon. Enele Sosene Sopoaga, on his nation’s 37th independence anniversary.
The Prime Minister’s message saw him reaffirm Fiji’s commitment to allow Tuvaluans to settle in Fiji in the event that climate change would force them out of their country.
“Even in a worst-case scenario, you will never be climate refugees because our door is open to you,” Hon Bainimarama said.
Hon. Bainimarama said that Tuvalu had set the tone for the forthcoming United Nations Climate Conference in Paris with their powerful statement that the discussions should not be about where the people of Tuvalu and other threatened nations should go but taking measures to allow them to stay.
“I fully share your conviction that the Pacific Island nations cannot tolerate a defeatist attitude that accepts that being swamped by rising sea levels is inevitable,” he said.
“The global community must choose the survival of Tuvalu and other threatened Pacific nations over the economic interests of the industrialised nations. Any other option is unacceptable. And I am convinced that by working closely together, we can make our voices heard.”
Prime Minister Bainimarama highlighted that the relations between the two countries gave grown from strength to strength and this is evident after the signing of a number of agreements.
“Last October, we signed the Fiji-Tuvalu Maritime Boundary Treaty and this month, we have reached a new agreement with France on our overlapping exclusive economic zones.”
The Prime Minister also stated that Fiji looks forward to continuing strengthening the ties between the two countries.