Small island countries need to form allies to succeed: Singaporean envoy to Fiji

Singaporean non-resident envoy to Fiji paid a courtesy call Thursday to Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, saying small island countries need to become relevant and form allies in order to succeed.

Verghese Mathews, Singapore's high commissioner to Fiji, said Singapore is an island country which after independence realized the importance of having friends and has therefore ventured into the Pacific region.

"The reality is with small island countries, it is difficult for them to influence the big countries, almost not possible to influence these countries. For small countries to survive and succeed, they have to become relevant...If all small countries are together, they can look at something and they can then to a large extent influence what an individual country cannot," a statement from Fiji's Ministry of Information quoted Mathews as saying.

The envoy, who is accredited to serve Pacific island countries and will also visit Tuvalu as part of his Pacific visit, said he is pleased that smaller nations are often thinking and working together because they have common aspirations and difficulties.

Singapore appreciated the cooperation from Fiji and the rest of the Pacific island countries at international forums such as the United Nations, Mathews said.

"Most of the time we stand for the same thing, we stand for peace and good lives for our people, we stand against terrorism," he said.

On investment, Mathews said investors usually prefer to work in partnership if they are to come far for business opportunities.

"Post independence Singapore knocked on a lot of doors to get people to invest but one of the pre-requisites for investor confidence is things like good roads and schools amongst many others," said Mathews.