Prime Minister Bainimarama met today with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Mark Rutte. The bilateral meeting was held at the margins of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Prime Minister Rutte commended Fiji for its sustained economic growth over the past four years. He also congratulated Prime Minister Bainimarama on the excellent organization of the recent Pacific Islands Development Forum Summit in Suva, which the Netherlands had attended.
The Prime Ministers discussed the many challenges posed by climate change. The provisions of the Suva Declaration on Climate Change were promoted as the only way for the Pacific Islands to be assured of a secure future. Prime Minister Bainimarama applauded the Netherlands for its innovative adaptation efforts in its low-lying communities, and attributed this to the work of its engineers, whom he hailed as amongst the best in the world.
It was noted that Fiji and the Netherlands were co-founders and current co-chairs of the UN's Group of Friends of Oceans & Seas. They committed their countries to faithful pursuit of the implementing of SDG14, the Ocean's Goal of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
They agreed the two countries relations should be further enhanced through technical cooperation and knowledge-sharing in fields of common interest.