Bilateral relations between Nepal and Fiji were established in the mid 1980s. How have the relations evolved over this period?

Let me start with the historical relations between the two countries. There are more than 2000 Nepalis in Fiji. Their presence in Fiji goes back to the 1800s. They were taken to Fiji by the then British rulers. But the formal bilateral relations between Fiji and Nepal were established in June 1986. Since then, both the countries have participated in many international forums such as the UN summits and programmes. There, we have shared views and ideas. We have supported each other at such forums. There has been good mutual understanding between the two countries. We have served together in UN peacekeeping missions in several countries. In recent times, it seems both the countries have realized the importance of bilateral relations. I was formally accredited to your country last year, as Fiji’s first ambassador to Nepal. A good number of Nepali students have been studying in Fiji now. Now we have also opened our Consulate Office in Nepal. Thus, the platforms are now established. With the consulate office now established, I am very certain that we will be able to do a lot more with Nepal. 

 

Now Fiji has a Consulate Office in Kathmandu. How is this new facility going to help consolidate the bilateral ties?

There is a way to move ahead. We will definitely want to have a memorandum of understanding or agreement on development and cooperation between the two countries. Each of us has its own advantages. Nepal is surrounded by beautiful mountains and hills; Fiji is surrounded by beautiful water. So, the Consulate can start with by promoting tourism in both the countries. Nepalis who want to see beautiful beaches with crystal clear water can visit Fiji and Fijians who want to go hiking, trekking and climbing mountains can come to Nepal.      

 

What will be the role of the new Consulate in promoting economic cooperation between the two countries?

Talking about economic cooperation, Fiji imports from Nepal although the volume is very small at present. Fiji depends a lot on imports. We need raw materials for our industries. These raw materials can be from Nepal. So, there is a good potential for economic cooperation between the two countries. We import quite hugely from your neighbour and we have never thought of coming here (Nepal). Fiji can recruit professionals from Nepal. For example, we are looking for engineers and doctors and other medical professionals. Similarly, we are looking for educationists. These are some of the areas where Nepal can help because it has a large, good population.

 

You said Fiji can be a destination for Nepali professionals. What about semi-skilled labourers and workers?

Fiji can definitely be a destination for Nepali professionals. We have the issue of brain-drain. People are leaving the country (Fiji) for greener pastures abroad. But there are areas where we have got workers from outside in the blue-collar job as well.        

 

How frequently do the Nepali and Fijian government authorities engage in bilateral talks? What kind of space do the issues of economic cooperation get during these talks?

Mostly, we have been meeting at international forums around the world. For example at conferences on climate change which is important for both Nepal and Fiji. Recently, we chaired the G77 and China group meet where your country was also represented. Nepal and Fiji have been meeting at such forums. But this (opening of consulate in Nepal) is a beginning. We have decided to think outside our traditional boundaries of diplomacy.   

 

What are the areas where the two countries can work together for mutual benefit?

Both Nepal and Fiji are multi-cultural and multi-religious societies. We can promote each other’s cultures and traditions through cultural diplomacy. We can learn from each other’s experiences. In other areas, the possibilities for mutual cooperation have to be explored.

 

The volume of bilateral trade is not very high. How can we increase it?

The bilateral trade is low but it’s in Nepal’s favour. Because we import from you. We don’t export to Nepal. But we could export sugar to Nepal if it’s feasible. We are the producers of one of finest quality sugar in the world. I have come to know that Nepalis love to drink. So, we can export molasses to Nepal. We can also export our rum to Nepal. Our rum is the best in the world; it has been winning gold medals for the last eight-nine years. Similarly, Nepal is good in agriculture. That means we could import grains from you – for example, rice. We import rice worth USD 42 million a year.

 

What about importing the Nepali tea which is one of the best in the world?

We have been importing tea from Sri Lanka. I did not know that Nepal has tea also. Actually we have not been really serious about what could be sourced from Nepal. The reason might be the lack of a sea port in Nepal. This fact could have been restricting us from thinking about Fiji-Nepal trade issue more seriously. Now that we have a Consulate in Nepal, I hope we will be able to give more serious thoughts to trade with Nepal.

 

How is the contact between the chambers of the two countries?

I don’t think the chambers of the two countries are in contact. This is something we need to develop. We need an agreement between the two chambers. We need business-to-business interaction. We want entrepreneurs and investors from Nepal to go to Fiji and see what can be exported. They can use Fiji as a hub to export to the pacific region.     

         

Nepal has many attractive areas for foreign investment such as tourism, hydropower and agriculture. Do you think the Fijian business community would be interested to invest in Nepal?

Good thought. But we need to find out what sort of incentives are there for Fijian investors to come here and invest. Obviously, Nepal is a very large country. Investing here means we have to think about doing things at a large scale. Fiji is a small country and we do things at a small scale in Fiji. But there has to be a forum where the business people of the two countries can exchange ideas. I think investment would be more in favour of Fiji than Nepal.