Israeli President to arrive on Thursday

Fiji will welcome the President of the State of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, to participate in the history-making Pacific Islands Leaders’ Summit Meeting.

This is the first ever to be held with the State of Israel –– before departing for Australia the following day.

While in Fiji, President Rivlin will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama.

Fiji and Israel began their diplomatic relations in 1970, and the first Israeli President to visit Fiji was His Excellency Chaim Herzog in November 1986.

In the decades since, cooperation between Fiji and Israel has deepened, particularly in the areas of defence and security, agriculture, health, education, climate change, and disaster rehabilitation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security, Inia Seruiratu, said the visit by President Rivlin would further strengthen diplomatic between Fiji and Israel.

“From our peacekeeping efforts to exchanging expertise on agriculture and technology, there has relations long been a special relationship between Israel and Fiji,” Mr Seruiratu said.

“There’s much to be gained from channeling the power of multilateralism –– so I look forward to welcoming President Rivlin another historic visit to Fiji, and to building on the progress that our two nations have achieved by working together in recent years.”

Other high-profile guests expected for the first quarter of the year include the visit by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern and the United Nations General Assembly president, His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.