Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has urged India to assist Fiji and other Pacific Island countries to tackle climate change.
He made the comments in his remarks at the second Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation Summit in Jaipur, India.
Leaders of 9 Pacific Islands countries attended, with others sending a senior Minister.
Bainimarama said climate change is the biggest challenge facing the region.
“We are all suffering in the Pacific to a greater or lesser extent but in the case of 3 of our countries Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, their very existence is threatening and unless the industrial nations agree to binding cuts in emission, these nations are destined to sink between the waves and disappear off the map altogether”
The Prime Minister told his Indian counterpart that Fiji will support India’s bid to become a permanent member of the U-N Security Council.
“Mr Pm of all the island nations Fiji has the closest ties with India because of the tens and thousands of indentured laborers who went to work in our plantations mainly sugar cane farms from British India. Every Fijian no matter who they are or where they are values the wonderful assistance India has provided towards Fiji’s development over the years”.