[Source: Fiji Government / Facebook]

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the European Union remains a valuable bilateral and regional development partner.

Speaking at a dialogue in Tonga on the margins of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting, Rabuka says the event marks a significant step in EU’s cooperation with the Pacific under the Samoa Agreement.

The Samoa Agreement is a new framework of partnership between the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) that will guide them for the next 20 years.

The Samoa Agreement replaces the Cotonou Agreement, which has governed OACPS-EU relations since 2000.

Rabuka says Fiji undertook its first EU Partnership Dialogue under the Samoa Agreement in April.

He called on the EU for more consistent engagement at all levels to support the implementation of the agreement.

“We continue to move forward and make adjustments in our relationships and the various benefits we could get from those relationships. We acknowledge the commitment of the European Union and Pacific leaders in the signing of the Samoa Agreement.”

Rabuka urged the EU to expedite the financial resources required to support the required institutional arrangements under the Samoa Agreement.