The people of the island nation of Tuvalu today marked the 39th anniversary of their independence. Fiji Islands President Major-General (Ret’d) Jioji Konrote officiated at the event, accompanied by the first lady, Sarote.
Mr Konrote said today was a wonderful day for him as the Fijian head of State and representative of the Fijian people to be with the people of Tuvalu, and he conveyed the Fijian people’s warmest greetings and congratulations.
“Fiji and Tuvalu have always enjoyed a close relationship as nations stretching back to the establishment of our diplomatic ties in 1977 and a close relationship as people decades beyond that,” the President said.
“We are bound by our geographical proximity and shared a history as former British colonies. We already enjoy close cooperation across a broad front.
“And Fiji is especially pleased that we have been able to assist Tuvalu to build its capacity by training your people in various fields and giving young Tuvaluans access to higher education in Fiji.
“We are also partners in our collective effort to improve the state of our ocean and protect it from the pollution and overfishing that threatens our livelihoods here in the Pacific and around the world.”
(Source: The FijiTimes ONLINE News 02 October 2017)
