The Vice Chief of the Australian defence force, Vice Admiral Ray Grigg is in the country to renew ties with the Fiji military.

This comes a month after Fiji agreed to resume full diplomatic ties with Canberra and accredit Australia’s High Commissioner, who had been nominated two years earlier.

Vice Admiral Ray Grigg paid a courtesy call to the Office of the Military Commander on Monday.

RFMF Spokesperson – Lieutenant Sitiveni Qiliho says this is the first meeting with the Australian Defence Force after the relationship between both the countries soured in 2006.

“Our relationship has been broken off since 2006 with the aggressive posture taken with their naval deployment in the Kadavu waters in out territorial waters in 2006 and also statements by the Australian Defence Force chief at that time where there was where there was talk of threat to our commander at that time of the possible bleating of Australian troops against the RFMF.”

Qiliho says Fiji is very cautious with the resumption of the defense ties and the first step taken between Fiji and Australia has been quite successful.

Vice Admiral Grigg was on a one-day visit to the country. The meeting is another sign of the thawing of relations between Fiji and Australia after almost eight years.