Fiji’s Cabinet approved an Agreement with the Government of New Zealand on cooperation in the field of defence and the status of visiting forces, says Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
Fiji and New Zealand share a history of strong ties encompassing heritage, culture, sports, business and education. This reflects a common Pacific identity and strong people-to-people links.
The Agreement approved by Cabinet affirms the strong bilateral defence relationship between the two countries.
The Agreement establishes a framework which reaffirms the mutual benefits of interoperability between the RFMF and the New Zealand Defence Force.
It also recognises our shared interest in enhancing security cooperation to meet common challenges and maintaining a secure, sovereign, and resilient region.
The Agreement will allow the defence personnel of our two countries to undertake exchanges, deployments, and exercises in each other’s jurisdiction.
In a government statement, Rabuka said 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.
SOURCE: PACNEWS
