Fijian and New Zealand Defence ministers have met to discuss mutual cooperation between the countries' military forces. Improving maritime security and responses to humanitarian disasters have been a focus of the talks.
Defence Minister Peeni Henare with his Fijian counterpart Inia Seruiratu Photo: Fiji Government
In its first government visit out of New Zealand since borders opened earlier this month, Minister of Defence Peeni Henare met with his Fijian counterpart Minister of Defence Inia Seruiratu to, among other things, "secure the Pacific".
Henare said New Zealand was concerned about the region's security, defence capabilities, as well as its post-pandemic economic resilience.
The New Zealand Government defence delegation, who arrived in Fiji on 21 March met with Fijian defence chiefs. On the agenda was maritime security, Covid-19 and disaster response, as well as "the regeneration of our workforce," Henare said.
"The Defence Force has been crucial in our pandemic response both in Fiji and New Zealand but what we need to do now is come out of it, and regenerate our workforce to bring them back into being ready to operate in the Pacific," Henare said.
"The Pacific is our priority, it has to be, we have small forces and we have a specific amount of influence around the world. We've got to use it smartly and the only way we can do that is if we do it together.
"We are concerned for the Pacific, not just from a defence perspective but how we recover from Covid-19 economically and with resilience as well," he said.
Fijian Defense minister Inia Seruiratu hopes the New Zealand government will finance a new leadership training institute to be based at the Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp (HADR) in Nadi.
Recently developed regional defence force camp in Nadi Photo: Australian Defence Frce
Henare visited the newly-opened,Australian government funded Blackrock HADR upon arriving on Monday 21 March.
"We are both keen to have this engagement, again at pre-Covid level, as per the discussions that we've had, and particularly now with BlackRock up in places well, and the naval facilities and the maritime security issues," Seruiratu said.
"These are issues that we share in common and are concerned with and we have covered this in the discussions today.
"Capacity development is very, very important for us, you know, it's the professional development of our people.
"There is a people to people relationship that we have with New Zealand which makes things easier for us. There's consideration now for a leadership school at Blackrock, which will be perhaps supported by New Zealand," he said.
Seruiratu explained that while Fijian military officers regularly attend Staff Colleges in New Zealand, the Beehive had now agreed to send instructors to BlackRock for six months stints starting with training for the RFMF military bands.
.. Photo: Fiji govt
On the issue of United States engagement in the Pacific, Henare said it wasn't clear why the New Zealand government was not part of Pacific talks in Fiji, during the February visit of the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. However, he welcomed U.S military support in the region.
Henare made it clear that NZ defence regional support would focus on maritime surveillance and humanitarian assistance. He also hinted that the United States was an important ally to have, when issues arose over Chinese interests in the Pacific Region.
"We always welcome the US engagement in the Pacific because we can't do it alone but we want to be very clear that it is our priority. They've made it clear their position on China," Henare said.
"I've said to them as a defence minister, and as a country, that while we're mindful of what's happening in the South China Sea, in order for us to be a key part of security in this region, we must be able to secure the Pacific, we must be able to show with our limited capability that we can be responsible for our own backyard.
"For example, New Zealand only has two frigates, sending them to the South China Sea means that we leave a particular hole in the Pacific."
"So we need to be quite smart about the way we engage but we welcome the US. I've spoken with Secretary Austin, their Defence Secretary on a number of occasions, and he's committed to the Pacific too and I look forward to that relationship," he said.
Henare will travel across the Tasman to meet with Australian Minister of Defence, Peter Dutton before returning home on 26 March.