The Attorney General has given Fiji’s reassurance to the government of India of a promising partnership.

While speaking to India’s Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey, Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says India has a special linkage to Fiji.

Sayed-Khaiyum assured the Minister, that the incidents of the past which divide the country on ethnicity will not ever be repeated.

“We recently celebrated the arrival of Indian British to Fiji on the 14th of May and so much ironically that is when the first coup took place and indeed subsequent to that coup, the Indian High Commission was expelled from Fiji. We know those dark days and of course we have come out of those days. Fiji today is in a much firmer position.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji’s constitution guarantees the rights to all Fijians irrespective of their religion, race or opinions.

He adds this step is critical to ensuring a multinational state just as India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is striving for.

“Development needs to be at the core because the economic empowerment of people is what we must all focus on, whether it is election or about policy, we must always ensure we look after people on the margins of society.”

India and Fiji share close ties on trade, business and politics.