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On 16 March 2026, Latvia’s first Honorary Consulate in the Pacific Island nations was officially opened in Suva, the capital of Fiji. It is led by Honorary Consul Savenaca Seniloli. Our country’s geographically most distant Honorary Consulate was opened by the Ambassador of Latvia to Australia and Special Envoy for the Pacific Islands, Samija Šerifa, in the presence of Fiji's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sakiasi Ditoka, and Minister of Transport, Ro Filip Tuisawau. The event was well attended, with guests including Members of Parliament, entrepreneurs, and representatives of government institutions and the diplomatic corps.
In her speech, Ambassador Samija Šerifa stated that Latvia and Fiji are united not only by shared values and strong support for a rules-based international order and efforts to ensure global peace, but also by the promotion of international cooperation in areas such as climate change, gender equality, and work within the United Nations (UN) Women, Peace and Security agenda. As examples, the Ambassador highlighted Latvia’s and Fiji’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions in the Middle East (UNIFIL, UNTSO); the expertise provided by Latvian professor and Chair of UN International Law Commission, Mārtiņš Paparinskis, to Pacific Island nations on the legal consequences of rising sea levels and related issues concerning statehood, maritime law, and human rights; as well as the international hackathon for women entrepreneurs organised by the non-governmental organisation “Riga TechGirls” in Suva, aimed at boosting women’s employment and developing innovative digital solutions. Samija Šerifa announced that the Embassy is currently developing a new project aimed at improving women's digital competencies in the non-governmental sector in the Pacific Island nations.
At the conclusion of the event, Sabīne Kazaka, Head of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency’s (LIAA) office in Australia, provided an overview of the business environment in Latvia. She briefed the attendees on Latvia’s achievements in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) and digitalization, including digital tools in the e-environment, and shared the country’s experience with sustainable solutions in the forestry and renewable energy sectors.