Wellington, New Zealand

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Wednesday (June 7) that the country is finalising a defence agreement with New Zealand which will see the two nations increase military engagement. New Zealand will help build capacity and skills in Fiji Defence Force. PM Rabuka told media in Wellington that the agreement would be finalised next week. In Wellington, he is meeting senior New Zealand government officials including Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and opposition leader.

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“The agreement will allow defence officials to undertake engagement in different areas including capacity building and upskilling and exposure to new technologies interoperability and technical support among other,” he said.

China is making bold forays and engaging with Pacific island nations previously considered to be in the influence zone of Australia and New Zealand. This has shaken these countries and the US and they have started their own engagement process. This engagement is also aimed to deter Pacific Island nations from forming security pacts with China.

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China has already struck such a pact with Solomon Islands last year.

USA moves to counter China

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In the month of May this year, the US and Papua New Guinea signed a defence cooperation pact as well as a maritime surveillance deal. Australia too, is signing a security treaty with Papua New Guinea and has signed another such deal with Vanuatu.

New Zealand last year signed a partnership statement with Fiji where they agreed to work more closely together in areas such as security, protecting shared interests and economic resilience.

In Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, concerns about becoming embroiled in competition between US and China has become a domestic political issue. Regional leaders have raised concerns about the Pacific getting militarised.

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Rabuka said the region would only need to worry about militarisation of the region if diplomacy and common neighbourly discussions fail.

“I am sure we can continue our neighbourly cooperation and keep away discussions of other military interests in the region,” he said.

Rabuka met New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins earlier on Wednesday in private and discussed a number of matters. The two leaders said that the talks included economic ties climate change and Fiji’s recovery from climate change.

Hipkins at the joint press conference reiterated the need for region to work together.

“We know we are stronger when we combine our collective efforts and focus on pacific regionalism and the priorities of the blue pacific continent,” Hipkins said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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