Ambassador-designate Naiqama meets H.E. Fukushiro Nukaga

Ambassador-designate Mr. Kemueli Naiqama met with H.E. Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker to the House of Representatives and Chair of the Fiji-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association with the meeting held on 21 April, 2026.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to strengthen Japan–Fiji relations over the Ambassador’s three‑year tenure in Japan. As proposed by H.E. Nukaga, both sides agreed to maintain continuous engagement through meetings, enabling regular updates on priority areas and to address ongoing cooperation. The Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives emphasized the value of past exchanges, including long-term youth and professional visits, and expressed interest in continuing collaboration through existing mechanisms such as JICA’s ongoing official development assistance (ODA) and capacity building programmes to Fiji.

Discussions further highlighted several promising areas for future cooperation. These included tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, and statistical capacity-building, with the Japan Government expecting to receive from Fiji a list of priority projects. Regional and institutional linkages—particularly with Ibaraki Prefecture and the University of Tsukuba—were identified as realistic avenues for technical cooperation, academic partnerships, and human resource exchange.

Both sides agreed that cultural and sports diplomacy emerged as a strong pillar to develop rugby and volleyball and to deepen people‑to‑people ties. Fiji’s strong rugby culture and Japan’s interest in expanding sports exchanges align well with existing annual tournament schedules, creating natural opportunities for collaboration. These exchanges are expected to complement broader diplomatic and development initiatives.

His Excellency Mr. Nukaga in his closing remarks called for a forward looking collaboration with the Ambassador based on the areas of priorities for Fiji and Japan’s mutual understanding and bilateral cooperation agenda.

End.

Embassy of the Republic of Fiji

TOKYO

21 April 2026