AUSTRALIA is looking at a greater economic integration with Fiji and in the Pacific but believes more work is needed to convince Australians of opportunities that are here.
In his speech following the annual general meeting of the Fiji-Australia Business Council on Thursday night at the Australian High Commission in Suva, Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Peter Roberts said this is Australia’s vision as it carries out its work here under the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership.
“We have big ambitions because we see that Fiji is the core partner not just for Australia but as the regional leader and I am really determined that the economic partnerships is excellent.
“So we’ve got some work to do in explaining this to people. Some Australian companies are nervous about investing in the Pacific, but the statistics are telling us otherwise.”
Mr Roberts said last year was another record year for trade between Fiji and Australia and this was reflected in some of Austrade’s very best results in deals delivery coming out of the Suva Austrade office when compared to results from Austrade offices around the world.
“I read in the Fiji times this morning about Fiji is the number one exporter of cassava, turmeric, coconut oil, papaya, ginger into Australia.
“So, there are those opportunities and I think there are new opportunities that we start talking about more advanced supply chains and building partners with trust in the bigger picture.
“So, it’s our vision – and you are central to this – that it’s just not Australia and Fiji trading with each other and investing with each other but greater economic integration, better understanding with each other, systems working with each other’s systems and for a real ambition for what our economic partnership should be and also what Fiji’s economic future could be in the Pacific because for Australia, a stronger Fiji is a great outcome for Australia.”
At a speed networking event organised by FABC at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva early this month, Mr Roberts revealed that Australia’s goods and services trade with Fiji was valued at $6.5billion ($AU4.4b) last year, an increase from $6.1b ($AU4.1b) the previous year.
“I hope we have much more this year. They’re good numbers but I have great ambition and I believe that we can be doing a lot more,” he said.
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Note: This article was first published under the headline: Economic integration in Page 15 of the print version of The Fiji Times dated Saturday, October 18, 2025
