Minister for Defence Senator Marise Payne attended the third biennial South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting (SPDMM) in Auckland on late last week.
SPDMM 2017 was hosted by the NZ Minister of Defence Gerry Brownlee, and included Ministers and senior defence officials from Australia, France, Chile, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and for the first time Fiji. Observers from the US and the UK also attended.
The Ministers discussed regional security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping, and the coordination of military exercises across the Pacific. Minister Payne also lent her active support to the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the South Pacific with the offer of training and mentoring opportunities.
The Minister also advised the meeting in relation to design changes in the new Australian-built Guardian-class patrol boats which will remove unnecessary obstacles to the operational deployment of women in maritime security roles.
"Australia is a strong supporter of the SPDMM, which is the only ministerial-level defence meeting in the South Pacific and it plays an important role in the region's security architecture," Minister Payne said.
She welcomed Fiji's decision to join the Meeting and said as a key regional security partner, Fiji will make a valuable contribution to the forum.
The next meeting will be held in Fiji in 2019.
Minister Brownlee said one outcome of the meeting is that NZ will deploy a RNZN Inshore Patrol Vessel and crew to Fiji for six months from May.
“This is an excellent opportunity for New Zealand to partner with Fiji on maritime security and protecting fisheries – important issues not only to Fiji but also to New Zealand and the wider region.
“Fiji is an Island nation, like New Zealand, and therefore protecting our maritime resources is extremely important,” Brownlee said.
Fijian Defence Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola Kubuabola said he welcomed the NZ vessel supporting Fiji to patrol its exclusive economic zone and protect its regional fisheries resources.
“The Republic of Fiji Military Forces and Fijian fisheries personnel will work closely with the New Zealand crew on board during the course of the deployment to Fiji.
“I’m pleased to work with New Zealand as one of our close partners in the region, not only to conduct maritime patrols, but also to train together and to strengthen our people-to-people links,” Mr Kubuabola says.
Both Ministers also acknowledged the positive discussions at the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting and the agreement reached between Ministers on a number of important areas to the region.