America and Fiji have began talks geared toward strengthening navy ties between Washington and the Pacific island nation, U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned on Saturday, concluding a visit to the Indo Pacific.
Austin, on his twelfth journey to the area as defence secretary, mentioned negotiations had began on a Standing of Forces Settlement (SOFA) between the U.S. and Fiji, which might allow the U.S. to “deploy and redeploy forces in help of Fiji”.
It might additionally “assist us prepare with the Fijians on a really routine foundation,” he mentioned alongside Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in a press convention live-streamed from town of Nadi, on Fiji’s major island Viti Levu.
The U.S. additionally pledged $4.9 million to help Fiji’s navy modernisation and signed a bilateral logistics cooperation deal, in keeping with a defence division assertion.
Austin’s go to to Fiji was the primary by a U.S. Secretary of Protection to the strategically positioned nation of round 1 million folks, comprising an archipelago of 322 islands.
It was the final cease on a visit that additionally took him to Australia, the Philippines and Laos.
Rabuka mentioned Fiji regarded ahead “to persevering with to work carefully with the US going ahead, together with with the brand new incoming Trump administration”.
Austin mentioned the shut U.S.-Fiji relationship would “endure far past transition of administrations”.
The excessive profile go to comes after Fiji this 12 months agreed to keep up a policing co-operation take care of China, amid a tussle for affect between Beijing and Washington within the Asia-Pacific.
This text was produced by Reuters information company. It has not been edited by World South World.