Lloyd J. Austin (right) and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles in Darwin on Sunday. Picture: US Department of Defence
The American and Fijian military are expected to strengthen ties as outgoing US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin shores up ties in the Indo-Pacific region.
The US and Fiji are expected to open talks on signing a new Status of Forces Agreement to allow for quicker US logistics help during emergencies, according to the Pentagon.
Austin is due to make a historic visit to Fiji and meet with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa.
The Pentagon says the cross-service agreement will help the US deliver logistical support to Fiji quickly in the case of an emergency.
Austin is expected to emphasis continual US investment in the region, including through recently announced foreign military finance grants.
“Secretary Austin has a very unique ability to build coalitions, stich together allies and partners and use what I think of as a brand of defence diplomacy to bring people to the table that then translates into results,” a senior US Department of Defence official said.
“These networks can do very heavy lifting and hard lifting together.”
Austin is visiting Australia, the Philippines and Laos, where he will attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers meeting.
Austin, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Japanese counterpart, Nakatani Gen, reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to the Pacific in Darwin recently.
CLICK ON FOLLOWING FOR EARLIER STORY: Austin to visit Australia, region
They repeated their “serious concern” about China’s behaviour in the South China Sea, and especially the “dangerous” behaviour by its ships against Philippines and other countries’ vessels.
They also condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile tests and decision to send troops to the war in the Ukraine, which they say could destabilise security in the Idon-Pacific region, of which Australia is part of.
New Zealand has also strengthened its military ties with Fiji, taking part in live-fire exercises under a joint US-Fiji military exercise. The RNZAF is likely to use Fiji for its long-range P8 Poseidon twin-jet maritime patrol aircraft.
Fiji recently played host to a Chinese delegation that sought to boost bilateral co-operation in areas such as infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and fisheries, capacity building, and cultural promotion.
