News

Karan meets Australian counterpart

September 18, 2019 7:16 am

Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister Yogesh Karan met with his Australian counterpart Phillip Gaetjens yesterday to discuss ways of further strengthening the Vuvale Partnership.

It was their first meeting since Gaetjens’s appointment earlier this month.

Karan said they’ve established a network of Secretaries to the Prime Ministers in the Pacific including Australia and New Zealand early this year as a way of effectively and efficiently corresponding and engaging in the Oceania region.

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“We had a meeting in April where discussions were centred on climate change, fish poaching, labour mobility, border security, foreign investment and the need to engage with one another more often, along with other key issues.”

Karan says Fiji can look forward to more enhanced cooperation in multiple areas of mutual interest between the two countries with a strong people-to-people link.

He has also acknowledged the technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives provided by the Australian government.