[Photo: BOSE VAVATAGA]

Fiji is calling for greater regional defence cooperation as Pacific countries face an increasingly complex security environment.

Opening the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Nadi, Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua says Pacific countries need stronger cooperation to respond effectively to security challenges.

Tikoduadua says interoperability with Pacific neighbours remains important for a coordinated response during crises and emergencies.

“At the national level, Fiji continues to develop and strengthen policies through a whole-of-nation approach to address the increasingly complex security challenges of our time. In implementing our national security strategy, we continue to reform and modernise our security sector to ensure it remains capable, responsive and prepared to address both current and emerging threats”

Tikoduadua says Fiji has developed a Maritime Security Strategy to guide how the country protects its maritime domain over the next decade.

He says the strategy will help protect Fiji’s sovereignty, natural resources and cultural heritage.

Tikoduadua says defence capabilities must work closely with national response agencies to address traditional, non-traditional, and hybrid threats.

Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai says the Pacific Response Group is important to the RMF’s defence relationships with regional and international partners.

Kalouniwai says the group allows member countries to work together and build their capacity for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

“The PRG is important for the RMF in terms of our defence relationship with the rest of the defence partners. It actually allows us to work together with them. We establish a lot in terms of building capacity to respond to HADR and to other transnational issues”

The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting is being held under the theme, Securing the Blue Pacific, Collective Responsibility, Resilient Futures.