Fiji, France Agree to Expand Defense Cooperation
Fiji and France reached a defense agreement in August 2023 covering technology research, training, logistical support, and emergency and humanitarian assistance.
The Status of Forces Agreement “provides a framework for cooperation and assistance through military exchanges and the sharing of expertise between the Republic of Fiji Military Force and the Defence Force of the French Republic,” the Fiji Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron months earlier toured the Pacific Islands, where France has overseas territories, denouncing predatory behavior by major powers in a region where the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is attempting to extend trade and security ties.
Macron’s advisors say France can help island nations diversify their partnerships.
The Fijian government of Sitiveni Rabuka, elected in 2022, has shifted attention away from the PRC to partners such as Australia and the United States. France recently worked with Australia, Fiji and the U.S. to combat illegal fishing in the Pacific Ocean.
Rabuka said in September 2023 that the Pacific Islands should be a “zone of peace, a zone of nonaligned territories.”
Reuters
