News

US helps Fiji in overcoming challenges

March 12, 2019 4:46 pm

Patrick Murphy - the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Bureau of Pacific Affairs

The United States has a long history of partnership and engagement with Fiji, economically and in security.

Patrick Murphy – the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Bureau of Pacific Affairs – says the US currently has a lot of capacity building programs in Fiji.

Murphy says the US is helping Fiji with Maritime surveillance to overcome the challenges of illegal fishing.

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“A Pacific Island knows better than the rest of the world the challenges in the Maritime domain with illegal fishing, trafficking of wild-life and persons and criminology. Maritime surveillance is about protecting the sovereignties and we do a lot with Fiji on that.”

He adds security in the Pacific is a need and the US is doing a bit more to assist Fiji.

“I mentioned some of the assistance and collaboration we have in the security round about building capacity both for infantry here and command and contributing to peacekeeping and protecting Fiji’s integrity.”

Murphy says they have some new programs in the digital, cyber area and they’re also working in energy and infrastructure areas.