Strengthening engagement with our diaspora communities is important.
Fiijan Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama highlighted this on Monday during the Global Diaspora Summit that was held in Dublin, Ireland.
While delivering his speech virtually, Mr Bainimarama said Fijian communities abroad made a huge contribution to Fiji, particularly through remittances and investment.
“Remittances are now Fiji’s second-largest source of foreign exchange,” he said.
“In fact, over the past 10 years, remittances averaged the equivalent of 4.7 per cent of our GDP.”
Mr Bainimarama said Fiji fully supported the vision of the summit to promote a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to diaspora engagement.
“Fijians living abroad bring experiences, new perspectives and even skill-sets that we need as Fiji grows and modernises. We want to capture all that experience and the goodwill that comes with it.”
Mr Bainimarama also reinforced the Fijian Government’s stand in welcoming any citizen who wanted to stay fully engaged with Fiji.
“No Fijians who become citizens of another country need to give up their Fijian citizenship, and we encourage Fijians living abroad to vote in national elections,” he said.
The three-day summit, which began on Monday, is being organised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the government of Ireland and other lead participating states.
Fiji is represented at the summit by the Fijian Immigration Department, led by director Amelia Komaisavai with senior officials Yogendra Kumar, Deepak Karan and Ilisapeci Rayawa.
