Fiji dialogue
Australia and India: Enhancing Cooperation with Indo-Pacific Island States
Suva, 7 February 2025
Indo-Pacific Island States are vulnerable to a host of challenges, including climate change, geopolitical competition as well as maritime and human security threats. India and Australia have long played influential roles in the region, working with the Island States to develop resilience-building frameworks.
Whilst India has historically played a significant role in the Indian Ocean, in recent years, India has expanded its focus to the Pacific Ocean through its creation of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation, which has delivered a development plan for the Pacific Ocean region. As a founding member of the Pacific Islands Forum, Australia has played a key role in shared security issues and cooperation, including climate change and human mobility. Whilst Australia has had a long-standing focus on the security of the Pacific Ocean region, the 2024 National Defence Strategy recognises the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean as a primary centre of global geostrategic competition. Australia’s hosting of the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth 2024 further highlights its shift of focus to the importance of security in both ocean regions.
Australia and India’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, reaffirmed through Ministerial 2+2 Dialogues, commits both nations to work towards the overall security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region through impactful cooperation across defence , security and climate sustainability, among other themes. The strength of the Australia-India relationship allows for effective collaboration to work together on regional challenges to create a peaceful, free, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Objectives
The Fiji Dialogue will be undertaken as a partnership between the Australia India Institute and the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, and is supported by the Australian Government’s Department of Defence. The purpose of the Fiji Dialogue is to enhance Australia-India cooperation with Indo-Pacific Island States to build resilience and security. Holding the Dialogue in Fiji and inviting delegates from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, enables the direct input of Indo-Pacific Island State voices to better understand the security challenges of Island Nations through the lens of Island Nations themselves.
The Fiji Dialogue will bring together experts and officials from Australia and India with practical experience in working with Island States as well as experts and officials from Islands States in the Indian and Pacific Oceans to discuss ways to work together to strengthen the region against a range of threats. This dialogue will build off the 2023 Kolkata Dialogue.
Sessions
Session 1: Maritime cooperation, infrastructure protection and resource management
Session 2: Building resilience to climate change
Session 3: Countering disinformation
Session 4: Enhancing regional governance
FIJI DIALOGUE 2025 MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS
“The South Pacific is becoming prominent in the geopolitical competition. We have our friends that we work with. Partnership is the solution for us in every way.”
The Hon Pio Tikoduadua, Defence Minister of Fiji
“Australia and India’s place in the Indo-Pacific makes us natural stewards of cooperation, as we seek to foster a more interconnected and resilient Pacific, and understand and respond to the unique security challenges faced by Pacific Island States.”
The Hon Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Minister for Defence
“India has deep cultural and people-to-people ties with Fiji. India remains committed to strengthening relations and development partnership with the Pacific Island Countries (PICs), among which Fiji is an important partner. Indo-Pacific has emerged as one of the world’s important geopolitical region. India and Australia’s partnership is based on a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. In this context, closer cooperation among India, Fiji and Australia will promote our shared objectives of peace, prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific.”
Shri Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister of India
