FIJI and Japan today signed a security assistance agreement marking the second round of support under Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme.
Under the fiscal year 2025 agreement, Japan will provide assistance valued at $FJD5.5 billion for the purchase of four ambulances, two sets of medical field tents with associated equipment, and four automated external defibrillators to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Japan’s Ambassador to Fiji His Excellency Hiroshi Tajima said the assistance was intended to meet routine medical needs while playing an important role in emergency situations, including disaster response and patient transport.
Japan established the OSA programme in 2023 to support the defence capabilities of partner countries while fostering deeper security cooperation. Fiji was among the first countries selected in the programme’s initial phase.
Fiji’s Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua said the equipment would strengthen the nation’s disaster response capability, noting that for a small island developing states facing increasing climate-related events, disaster preparedness was not optional.
The cooperation between the two nations, established in 1970, is guided by the Lomavata-Kizuna partnership built around mutual trust and people-to-people connections.