Praneeta Prakash 
The government has partnered with the Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation and the United States Agency for International Development to launch a new initiative aimed at promoting innovation, gender equality, and entrepreneurship.
MASHAV which is Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was established to assist nations overcome development challenges by sharing knowhow and technologies, which provided the basis of Israel’s own development.
Speaking at the virtual launch, Head of MASHAV and Ambassador Eynat Shlein highlighted the importance of this partnership emphasizing the longstanding friendship between Israel, the United States, and Fiji.
“We’re working together, and we will work with you to tailor made, to introduce this tailor made program, which we will tailored according to your wishes in Fiji and your needs and we want to stand with you to make sure that this strong bond between our nations is sustained, prevailed and promoted.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica emphasizes the historical significance of this partnership and its potential to drive meaningful progress not only in Fiji but across the wider Pacific region.
“There’s an aging population of farmers, so we need to start injecting in a sort of like a cadre of new farmers into the agricultural economy, particularly with the ambitions Fiji has to commercialize agriculture, apart from sugar.”
Kamikamica adds that the partnership between MASHAV, USAID, and Fiji is poised to leverage Fiji’s strategic location and strong regional ties, facilitating the dissemination of innovative solutions and development initiatives throughout the Pacific.
