U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III will wrap up his Indo-Pacific trip in Fiji this week, marking the first-ever visit by a U.S. defence secretary.
While in Fiji, Austin will meet with Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa.
The secretary is expected to announce that the U.S and Fiji will begin negotiations on a Status of Forces Agreement that will empower the two countries to work more closely together.
The two countries will sign an acquisition and cross servicing agreement that will facilitate U.S logistical support to Fiji quickly in the case of an emergency.
Austin will emphasise the United States’ continued investments in the region, including through recently announced foreign military finance grants.
Defence officials said the trip underscores Austin’s continued engagement in the region as secretary builds upon a decade of progress by U.S administration in bringing together like-minded nations behind a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“Secretary Austin has a very unique ability to build coalitions, stich together allies and partners, and use what I think of as a brand of defence diplomacy to bring people to the table that then translates into results.
“These networks can do very heavy lifting and hard lifting together,” a senior U.S defence official said.
