2025 Fiji Dialogue

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 and resource management

• Session 2: Building resilience to climate change

• Session 3: Building resilience to disinformation

• Session 4: Regional governance – working together and with Island States