President Reuven Rivlin arrived in Australia early Friday after a short stopover in Fiji, where he represented Israel in a summit with leaders from Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, and Palau. Rivlin praised his hosts' friendly posture toward Israel on the world stage.
"We were also happy to support Fiji's election to the UN Human Rights Council, and your presidency of the UN's Climate Change conference," Rivlin said after meeting Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama. "We hope that Fiji will stand with Israel against the gross anti-Israel discrimination at the UN, especially at the Human Rights Council," he stressed.
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The president noted the successful cooperation between the states, despite the great distance. "I know that you are very familiar with our region from your time in the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai. Today Iran and its proxies are threatening Israel while spreading terror throughout the region, and around the world. Israel will do all that is necessary to defend its citizens from the Iranian threat, and we will continue to work with international peacekeeping forces to ensure that our borders remain quiet," Rivlin said.
Upon his arrival in Fiji, Rivlin was given the national drink, known as kava, which is made from the yangona root, as a sign of the nations' close ties and friendship. He was also adorned with a lei, which is the traditional necklace of flowers given to new people on their arrival according to local tradition.
"During the ceremony, the soldiers of the honor guard sat in their traditional dress and accompanied the welcome with their singing," Rivlin's office said in a statement. "The president was presented with an ancient whale tooth, coconuts in palm baskets, roots of local plants and even a lamb that was prepared in honor of the event. They represented the blessings of the Fijian people on the arrival of the president and the hopes for strengthening relations between the countries," the statement said.
Bainimarama thanked Rivlin and said that his visit to the island nation was a 'historic' event, noting that he was the first high-level Israeli official to arrive since 1986. "This summit is very important to us as another stepping-stone in strengthening the relations between us. Fiji will continue to pray for the peace of the Middle East region," said the prime minister.
"Despite our small size, Israel and Fiji know that our voices are heard in the international arena and we will continue to work together to create prosperity for the next generations of our two countries and peoples, including in the field of academia," he said.
