FIJI has offered to host the Pacific Response Group (PRG) as regional defence cooperation strengthens to respond to humanitarian and disaster emergencies.
Minister for Defence Pio Tikoduadua announced this during the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting at Black Rock Camp in Nadi.
Tikoduadua said Fiji’s offer reflected its longstanding contribution to peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
He said Fiji’s experience in international peacekeeping demonstrated the country’s commitment to collective action and the belief that maintaining peace was a shared responsibility.
The Pacific Response Group was developed through the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting as a mechanism for Pacific militaries to coordinate responses to future crises.
Tikoduadua said Pacific countries faced shared challenges, including natural disasters, climate-related emergencies and other security threats that required regional cooperation.
“Through the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting, we have demonstrated through the development of the Pacific Response Group, or commonly known as the PRG, that we stand prepared to respond to future crises as one,” he said.
Tikoduadua said Fiji would be honoured to host the PRG and support its development as an effective regional response mechanism.
He said Black Rock Camp was well positioned to support regional military cooperation, with facilities designed for multilateral training, exercises and activities.
Hosting the PRG would allow Pacific partners to strengthen coordination, interoperability and collective capacity to respond to humanitarian and disaster situations.
“For Fiji, this is about putting our commitment to the Pacific family into practical action,” Tikoduadua said.
He said hosting the PRG would also allow Fiji to continue building close relationships with regional partners.
