Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Government recognises the shared interest in enhancing security cooperation to meet common challenges and maintaining a secure, sovereign and resilient region.
In a press conference, Rabuka said Cabinet has approved an agreement with New Zealand on cooperation in the field of defence and the status of visiting forces.
Rabuka said the agreement affirms the strong bilateral defence relationship between the two countries.
He said the agreement establishes a framework which reaffirms the mutual benefits of interoperability between the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the New Zealand Defence Force.
The Prime Minister highlighted the agreement would allow the defence personnel of both countries to undertake exchanges, deployments and exercises in each other’s jurisdiction.
“Fiji will benefit immensely from these military exchanges in terms of the exposure of the Fijian troops to New Zealand’s military training methods and standards; interoperability and understanding of New Zealand’s military doctrine; obtaining funding support; facilitating the engagement of experts and acquiring of skills and exposure to new military equipment and hardware that are not otherwise available,” the Prime Minister added.
