European Commissioner Jozef Síkela will visit three Pacific countries—Fiji, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea—from September 5 to 12, 2025.
The purpose of the visit is to deepen the partnership between the European Union and the Pacific region and to advance the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy aimed at creating jobs and supporting sustainable economic growth.
During this visit, Commissioner Síkela will attend the inaugural EU-Pacific Business Forum on September 4-5 in Nadi, Fiji. This Forum brings together policymakers, business leaders, investors, and development partners from both regions to explore trade and investment opportunities and to foster strong, lasting business partnerships.
Commissioner Síkela emphasized the importance of the Pacific as a partner, highlighting shared priorities such as climate resilience and sustainable growth. He explained that the Global Gateway strategy and the Business Forum will translate these priorities into concrete actions that improve life quality in both the EU and Pacific regions.
The visit will focus on key areas of the Global Gateway initiative, including climate resilience and digital connectivity. The EU is investing in quality infrastructure, both hard and soft. Hard infrastructure investments will include projects like port construction and hydropower plants, while soft infrastructure focuses on skill development, capacity building, and regulatory improvements to enhance local impact.
On the trip, Síkela will sign bilateral and regional agreements, meet government officials, and visit EU-backed projects. These projects include the reconstruction and upgrading of two schools in Vanuatu damaged by an earthquake. The upgraded schools will also serve as emergency shelters for the wider population in natural disasters.
The EU-Pacific Business Forum marks a milestone engagement between the EU and the Pacific. It represents the first event of its kind in the region aimed at operationalizing economic, trade, and investment cooperation. It targets unlocking and showcasing business opportunities for sustainable development and diversification across Pacific Island countries.
In Papua New Guinea, the EU Commissioner’s visit coincides with the country’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations. The visit is expected to reinforce diplomatic ties and development cooperation between the EU and Papua New Guinea.
The Global Gateway strategy underpins the EU’s commitment to reducing global investment gaps by mobilizing up to €300 billion in public and private investments from 2021 to 2027. It prioritizes creating connections in digital networks, energy, and transport infrastructure, as well as strengthening health, education, and research systems globally.
Global Gateway employs a Team Europe approach involving the EU, its member states, and European development finance institutions. This approach ensures investments build essential, sustainable links rather than dependencies in partner regions like the Pacific.
The partnership with the Pacific region supports key sectors, including climate change adaptation, renewable energy expansion, ocean resource management, and digital sovereignty. The EU is committed to fully integrating Pacific economies through initiatives like the Economic Partnership Agreement, involving several Pacific island nations.
The Business Forum is designed to facilitate direct connections between Pacific entrepreneurs and European investors. It aims to foster joint projects in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and fisheries. Beyond financing, the EU offers technology, knowledge, and standards to enable long-term, reliable partnerships.
The visit by Commissioner Síkela reflects the EU’s strategic emphasis on strengthening political, economic, and social ties with the Pacific, supporting resilience against climate crises and promoting sustainable development pathways with tangible benefits for local populations.
This visit is part of broader EU engagements in the Indo-Pacific region aimed at reinforcing multilateral cooperation, economic integration, and regional stability through targeted investments and partnerships with Pacific countries.
The European Union’s Global Gateway and upcoming EU-Pacific Business Forum represent a coordinated push to deepen economic relations and accelerate sustainable growth trajectories in the Pacific while continuing to promote regional integration and increased local capacity building.
The outcomes of this visit and forum are expected to unlock new business ecosystems that support education, training, clean energy production, improved ports and digital services, thus enabling the Pacific to diversify its economies and develop its infrastructure in alignment with environmental sustainability goals.
