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27.06.2014 17:18

Intervention et réponses aux questions des médias du ministre russe des Affaires étrangères Sergueï Lavrov lors de la conférence de presse conjointe à l'issue des négociations avec le ministre des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération internationale de la République de Fidji, Inoke Kubuabola, Moscou, le 27 juin 2014

Mesdames et Messieurs,

Avec le ministre fidjien des Affaires étrangères M. Inoke Kubuabola nous nous sommes penchés sur l'état des relations bilatérales, dont 40 ans de l'établissement nous célébrons cette année, mais les liens historiques entre nos deux pays sont beaucoup plus profonds. Au début du 19e siècle, dans le cadre de l'expédition en Antarctique, Mikhaïl Lazarev et Faddeï Bellinsgauzen ont visité l'île Ono, l'une des îles Fidji. Sur la base de leurs carnets, des liens d'amitié ont été établis entre nos peuples.

Les ministres ont passé en revue la mise en œuvre des accords conclus lors de la visite officielle en Russie du Premier ministre de la République des Fidji V.Bainimarama, qui a eu lieu en juin 2013. Il s'agissait alors sur l'établissement de la coopération pratique dans un certain nombre de domaines. Nous avons constaté qu'au cours de la période écoulée, on a réussi de renforcer la base juridique et d'améliorer des conditions pour l'expansion du commerce, de l'investissement et de la coopération humanitaire. Des projets spécifiques ont été définis et sont mis en œuvre dans le domaine de l'éducation, de la formation, du sport, du tourisme et des échanges culturels. Actuellement des artistes des Fidji participent dans le festival de musique de Krasnoïarsk, ce que nous saluons activement.

Nous avons abordé les questions clés de l'ordre du jour international. Nous avons mis l'accent sur la poursuite de la coopération au sein de l'ONU, y compris dans le cadre du maintien de la paix. Dans ce domaine les Fidji ont accumulé une riche expérience. Il est à noter que le contingent fidjien est le plus grand dans l'opération de l'ONU dans le plateau du Golan, et nous contribuons à l'équiper des armes d'infanterie et de l'équipement nécessaire.

Nous avons une bonne coordination lors de la préparation des résolutions de l'Assemblée générale. Nous sommes reconnaissants à nos amis fidjiens pour leur soutien apporté aux initiatives russes relatives au renforcement de la confiance dans l'espace, la sécurité de l'information au niveau international. Je tiens à mentionner le soutien traditionnel fidjien aux résolutions sur l'inadmissibilité de la glorification du nazisme adoptées dans le cadre de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies.

Nous nous sommes convenus de collaborer dans le cadre des Nations Unies, notamment sur la préparation des évènements consacrés au 70ème anniversaire de la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Nous avons abordé la question de la coopération de la Russie avec les États insulaires du Pacifique Sud. Ces réunions se tiennent traditionnellement en marge de la session de l'Assemblée générale de l'ONU à New York, et cela sera notre cinquième réunion en 2014. Nous apprécions que nos partenaires fidjiens jouent traditionnellement le rôle des coordinateurs de ce mécanisme.

Nous nous sommes convenus de préparer un mémorandum sur la coopération entre les ministères des Affaires étrangères de la Fédération de Russie et des îles Fidji, où seront mentionnés des sujets et des mécanismes de consultations régulières. Je pense que cela va favoriser la transition de notre interaction sur une base plus systématique.

Je suis satisfait du résultat des négociations, qui ont confirmé notre intérêt mutuel dans le renforcement des relations mutuellement bénéfiques. Je suis convaincu que la coopération bilatérale est dans l'intérêt non seulement de la Russie et des Fidji, mais elle va également contribuer au renforcement de la stabilité, la sécurité et le développement dans la région du Pacifique Sud.

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Bilateral relations

RUSSIA-FIJI RELATIONS

Diplomatic relations between Russia and Fiji were established on January 30, 1974. Our interests in the republic are represented by the Russian Embassy in Australia. On July 26, 2017 Russian Ambassador to Australia Grigory Logvinov presented his credentials to President of Fiji George Konrote.

The Ambassador of Fiji to China is also accredited to represent Fiji in Russia.

In recent years, bilateral political contacts have become more animated. On May 15, 2017, President of Russia Vladimir Putin held a brief conversation with Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama on the sidelines of a roundtable meeting at the Belt and Road international forum. On June 27-July 1, 2013, the first top-level visit in the history of Russia-Fiji relations took place: Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama visited Russia. His talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov focussed on the condition and prospects for expanding Russia-Fiji ties with an emphasis on trade, economic and cultural ties, as well as further interaction in international affairs. Five documents were signed at that time: intergovernmental agreements on mutual visa waiver and on military and technical cooperation, an agreement between the Russian Federal Service for Financial Monitoring and the Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit on cooperation in counteracting money laundering and financing of terrorism, as well as memorandums of understanding between the healthcare ministries of the two countries, and between the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok and Fiji National University. On the sidelines of Bainimarama’s visit, the Fijian delegation met with representatives of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and visited the International Naval Show in St Petersburg.

On October 11-14, 2016, Speaker of the Fijian Parliament Jiko Luveni visited Russia for the first time. She held talks with Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko. During this visit, meetings were held between Fiji’s Minister of Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu and Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov; Fiji’s First Deputy Foreign Secretary Ravindran Nair met with the top managers of Rosoboronexport; Fijian Elections Office Director for Operations Anaseini Senimoli met with the leadership of the Russian Central Election Commission. Following the meetings, Russia and Fiji signed interdepartmental memorandums on the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation and on cooperation in elections, as well as a letter of intent with the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

On the sidelines of the 25th session of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Nadi (held on January 15-19, 2017), Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev met with Speaker of the Fijian Parliament Jiko Luveni.

On February 1-2, 2012, Sergey Lavrov made a working visit to Fiji and met with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and held talks with Foreign Minister Inoke Kubuabola. On December 14, 2012, first Russia-Fiji consultations on consular issues took place in Suva. In September 2013, 2014 and 2016, on the sidelines of the 68^th, 69^th and 71^st sessions of the UN General Assembly, Sergey Lavrov met with Frank Bainimarama. In June 2014, Foreign Minister Inoke Kubuabola visited Moscow.

A consultations plan between the two countries’ foreign ministries was signed for 2015-2016. The first two rounds of Russia-Fiji political consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers took place in February 2015 in Fiji and in October 2016 in Moscow.

Our Fijian partners take an active part in the dialogue between Russia and the developing island states of the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. As of now, Sergey Lavrov has met seven times with high representatives of the region. The second meeting took place on February 1, 2012 in Nadi, Fiji. Following the third meeting on September 28, 2012, on the sidelines of the 67^th session of the UN General Assembly, a joint communique was adopted which outlined the main areas of cooperation. Among them were mineral resources extraction, fisheries, transport, telecommunications, tourism, state grants for studying in Russian universities (first of all, at the Far Eastern Federal University), the development of cultural, research and sports projects, and healthcare.

In 2010, Fijians co-authored the Russian project of the resolution of the 65^th session of the UN General Assembly on confidence-building measures in outer space. The Fijian delegation voted for the Russian candidates at the election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2009-2012 and 2017-2019, and to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for 2012-2016.

In November 2014 and in June 2016, representatives of various Fijian ministries and agencies completed an internship at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In 2017, they will repeat the internship. Russian Ambassador-at-Large Alexander Ivanov took part in the first (August 2013) and second (June 2014) summits of the forum on the development of the island states of the Pacific in Nadi. At the third summit in Suva (September 2-4, 2015), the Russian delegation was led by the Russian Ambassador to Australia.

The two countries’ law enforcement agencies have also broadened cooperation. The Fijian military took part in the 2016 International Army Games as observers.

Bilateral trade has been sporadic. In 2016, bilateral trade stood at $1.32 billion. Russia delivers mineral fuel, oil and oil products ($1.23 billion). Fiji exports food (71.7 per cent) and textile (17.7 per cent). There is no investment cooperation so far.

The key direction of bilateral cooperation is military-technical cooperation. To equip the Fijian peacekeeping battalion, Russia donated light and small arms and ammunition for them for free.

Another area that has strong potential is the use of outer space for peaceful purposes. The possibility to place a differential correction station and the GLONASS monitoring system in Fiji is being discussed.

The number of Russian tourists in Fiji is growing (over 1,000 people).

In July 2014, a Fijian dance group took part in the 4^th International Music Festival of the Asia-Pacific Region Countries in Krasnoyarsk.

the Republic of Fiji

REPUBLIC OF FIJI

General information: The Republic of Fiji is an archipelago (332 islands, the largest ones are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu) in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean to the north of New Zealand, to the south of Tuvalu, to the west of Tonga and to the east of Vanuatu.

Area: 18,3000 square kilometres.

Capital: Suva (Viti Levu Island).

Administrative divisions: The country consists of five divisions.

Population: 915,000. Over half of the population are native Fijians (56.8 per cent), the rest are of Indian descent (37.5 per cent) and from other Pacific islands. There are also Europeans and Chinese.

Main religions: Christianity (64.5 per cent), Hinduism (27.9 per cent), and Islam (6.3 per cent).

Official languages: English and Fijian; Hindu is also used.

National holiday: Independence Day (October 10, 1970).

Currency: the Fijian dollar (≈ $0.5).

History: The first settlers arrived in Fiji from Southeast Asia around 3,500 years ago. In 1643, the islands were discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman; in 1774 the islands were visited by James Cook. The first English missionaries arrived there in 1835. In October 1874 Fiji became a British colony. Between 1879 and 1916, Indian contract labourers were brought to Fiji to work on the sugar plantations. By the time the British government abandoned this practice over half of the country’s population – about 40,000 – were Indians.

In 1970, the Republic of Fiji gained independence and is part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Political system: Fiji is a parliamentary republic, headed by President George Konrote (took office on November 12, 2015). He also performs the ceremonial functions of Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief. The President is elected by the parliament.

The Fijian Parliament is unicameral and comprises 50 members elected for a four-year term. The leader of the winning party becomes Prime Minister and the actual leader of the state. The current Prime Minister is Frank Bainimarama (since December 2006). Since September 2017, he has also held the post of Foreign Minister.

Armed forces: Unlike most small island countries of the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, Fiji has its own armed forces (Land Forces and Air Force); the total number of servicemen is 9,500 (active service and reserve troops).

Domestic politics: On September 17, 2014 the latest parliamentary election was held. The majority was won by the FijiFirst party led by Frank Bainimarama.

Economy: Fiji is one of the most developed small island states in the region. The republic has forest, water and mineral resources (gold, silver, copper and oil on the continental shelf).

In 2016, GDP was $4.7 billion with a 2.5 per cent growth. The per capita income is $8,700. The inflation rate is 3.3 per cent. The unemployment rate is 8.8 per cent. Budget deficit stands at 3.3 per cent.

The foreign trade balance is negative with imports ($2.3 billion) significantly exceeding exports ($1.2 billion). The main imports are cars and equipment, chemicals, fertilisers, oil products, vehicles and food; the main exports are sugar, clothing, gold, timber, seafood, coconut oil and mineral water.

Tourism is one of the key economic sectors in the country, providing a significant part of the budget revenue. Every year, over 500,000 tourists, mainly from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the EU, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea and Chinese Taipei, visit Fiji. Hotel business and related services are developing fast. At the same time, the country depends on donors that help form the state budget. The main sponsors are Australia, New Zealand, EU countries and Japan.

The foreign policy is aimed at defending Fiji’s political and economic interests in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, and strengthening its role as an informal leader of the region.

In recent years, the country has actively interacted with Japan, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Fiji takes part in the United Nations system and other international structures such as the IMF, the Asian Development Bank, WTO and Interpol, as well as in regional integration associations: the Pacific Islands Development Forum, the Alliance of Small Island States, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, the Pacific Community and the Melanesian Spearhead Group.