Photo credit: retrieved from cookislandsnews.com

Excerpt from cookislandsnews.com

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was humbled by the support he received from Fijians residing and working in Rarotonga and Aitutaki during his weeklong visit for the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting last week.

The Fijian diaspora turned out in large numbers at events held on both islands to show their support for their leader and his delegation.

“I am humbled by the fact that they all came together at the airport (arrival) and also at the opening,” Rabuka said.

Rabuka, who came into power after the 2022 general election in December, was accorded a traditional welcome ceremony on Tuesday. On Saturday, Rabuka and his delegation were hosted and farewelled by the Rarotonga Fijians at Te Atukura Grounds in Tutakimoa.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and his wife Daphne, Ministers Albert Nicholas and George “Maggie” Angene, and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Tepaeru Herrmann also attended the farewell event.

Cook Islands formalised diplomatic ties with Fiji in 1998, but Prime Minister Brown said that the relationship goes beyond mere agreements. He further revealed that 63 Fijians have received permanent residency in the Cook Islands and expressed aspirations to formalise the Fiji and Cook Islands route through Fiji Airways.