SUVA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has extended its well wishes to South Korea as the Asian nation marked its 71st anniversary of liberation, the Fijian government announced Tuesday.
In a congratulatory note to South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said Fiji reaffirms its desire to work closely with the South Korean government to address issues such as climate change, regional peace, security and social and economic development.
"With the direct air link between our nations, we continue to strengthen our people-to-people ties, as well as our formal diplomatic relationship," Bainimarama said, thanking South Korea for the assistance it has provided to the country.
The Fijian prime minister said he is especially keen to secure increased South Korean investment in Fiji and an expansion of trade between the two countries.
To this end, he said, Fiji looks forward to working with South Korea to strengthen economic links in the months and years ahead.
Fiji and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1970, according to Fiji's Department of Information.
South Korea marked on Monday the 71st anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, during which the Korean people suffered numerous atrocities such as forced recruitment of Korean women as sex slaves for Japanese military brothels and compulsory labor for Japan's munitions factories.
