July 22, 2026
Mr. Bera (for himself, Mr. Moylan, Mr. Case, Mrs. Radewagen, and Ms. King-Hinds) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Recognizing that for 55 years, the Republic of Fiji has worked with the United States toward stability, prosperity, and peace in the Pacific and beyond, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the Pacific.
Whereas the Republic of Fiji became independent of the United Kingdom on October 10, 1970;
Whereas the United States and Fiji established diplomatic relations on July 22, 1971, when the Ambassador of Fiji, Semesa K. Sikivou, presented his credentials to President Richard M. Nixon;
Whereas Fiji is a valued security partner of the United States, participating in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, which sends members of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to professional military education courses in the United States;
Whereas the Republic of Fiji Military Forces continue to be a large provider of troops and police to United Nations peacekeeping operations;
Whereas Fiji participated in Pacific Partnership 2025, the United States Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster response mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific, and in collaboration with partner nations such as Fiji, the United States Navy enhances regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increases security and stability in the region, and fosters new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific;
Whereas the Republic of Fiji Military Forces personnel participated in a multilateral military-to-military training exercise with the United States Army Pacific in Exercise Cartwheel;
Whereas, since signing a shiprider agreement with Fiji in 2019, the United States has hosted Fijian shipriders on United States Navy and Coast Guard vessels for maritime law enforcement operations;
Whereas the United States Government supports strengthening cooperative activities with the Government of Fiji, including sustainable fisheries management;
Whereas section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92) expanded the number of countries that receive assistance under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, including Fiji;
Whereas the United States and Fiji signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement in 2024 which enables the efficient transfer of fuel and medical supplies as well as the use of maintenance facilities during emergencies;
Whereas Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced United States commitment to collaborate with the Government of Fiji on joint port infrastructure investment at the 2026 Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, highlighting Fiji’s role as a crucial partner in the Indo-Pacific;
Whereas Fiji and the United States have signed a Compact Development Funding Agreement to advance towards designing a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact program that will bring tangible benefits to both the United States and Fiji;
Whereas the United States is Fiji’s largest export market, accounting for 28.5 percent of Fiji’s total merchandise exports;
Whereas a peaceful, prosperous, and open Indo-Pacific promotes security, opportunity, and dignity to all peoples, benefits the people of both the United States and Fiji, and Fiji has advanced its own Ocean of Peace Declaration that was adopted by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in 2025, displaying Fiji’s position as a valued leader in the region and its commitment to these principles;
Whereas Fiji restored democratic governance in 2014;
Whereas over 50,000 United States citizens trace their roots to Fiji, many of whom reside in California;
Whereas Fiji has hosted the Peace Corps since 1968;
Whereas Des Plaines, Illinois, and Nailuva, Fiji, are sister cities, a broad-based, long-term partnership to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation centered on people-to-people exchanges; and
Whereas the Nevada National Guard entered into a State Partnership Program with Fiji in 2019: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
celebrates 55 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Republic of Fiji;
(2)
commends Fiji on a successful return to democracy and two elections deemed to be free and fair by international observers, and urges that the next general election expected to take place between 2026–2027 remains free and fair;
(3)
supports and affirms the full implementation of provisions of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–409) and supports its strengthening with regard to deepening its cooperation with Fiji in areas of mutual interest, including fisheries and marine resource conservation, environmental challenges and resilience, global health, development and trade, and people-to-people ties, as well as continuing United States assistance, as appropriate, to support the rule of law, good governance, and economic development; and
(4)
recognizes Fiji’s participation in multinational security forces and multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Trade Organization, the Pacific Community, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, and the Pacific Islands Forum.