India, Fiji in trade talks

Mereseini Marau In New Delhi
Sunday, September 09, 2012

Fiji is expected to convene a meeting on trade and development corporation with India soon as this is expected to bring about economic content to the two countries.

The Joint Trade Commission and Development Corporation meeting will be held either in Fiji or India to discuss the memorandum of understand they've signed regarding these issues.

It is also looking at chairing the G77 (Group of 77) Secretariat meeting next year.

This was agreed upon when Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama met with Minister for External Affairs SM Krishna and Minister of State for External Affairs Eddapakath Ahmed in New Delhi on Thursday.

Mr Krishna told Commodore Bainimarama that the first two meetings of the Development Corporation and Joint Trade Committee should be convened at an early date.

He said this would provide greater economic content between the two countries.

During the meeting, Mr Krishna said India had the expertise to assist Fiji in the water resource management and the coconut industry.

He said India understood that Fiji would be setting up desalination plants operated through solar powered panels since the women of Fiji had undergone solar energy training in India.

Fiji's High Commissioner to India Yogesh Karan explained that the Joint Trade Committee would facilitate expansion of mutual trade, agriculture, tourism and other areas of bilateral, economic and commercial partnership between the two countries.

For development corporation, Mr Karan said it would provide a framework upon achieving development corporation.

He said human resource, civil aviation, maritime, agriculture, fisheries and forest, water resource management, sports, cultural exchanges, small and medium enterprise, specialised training in trade negotiation and diplomacy would be looked into.

"Both governments want to have a meeting as soon as possible," he said.

The first meeting was supposed to be held in Fiji in February but because of the floods, it was postponed.

Mr Karan said the meeting with the government of India was timely as important matters were discussed to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations for economic development.