Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka raised concerns that the mass deportation of criminals from the U.S. posed a safety risk to Pacific Island states, in a meeting with the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus chairman, Fiji’s government said today.
Rabuka is the first Pacific Islands leader to visit Washington to press the region’s concerns since Trump took office, with the U.S. withdrawal from international climate change commitments a major focus for the low-lying island states.
Rabuka will attend a presidential prayer breakfast today and is also expected to meet with Republican senators.
In a meeting with the acting undersecretary of state for international trade, Diane Farrell, Rabuka noted major investments by U.S. tech giants Google and Starlink in Fiji, adding that he hoped the U.S. freeze on foreign aid will not impact plans for U.S. Agency for International Development programs in the Pacific region for health, climate and security, the government said in a statement.
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