Australia’s Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart and his New Zealand Army counterpart Major General Rose King have met with senior Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) leaders in Suva this week to kick-start a week-long tour of the Pacific.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the joint Australia-New Zealand delegation held a series of engagements, including with Commander Land Forces Brigadier General Onisivoro Covinisaqa and Commander RFMF Major General Jone Kalouniwai Logavatu.
The talks reinforced the shared commitment to the region’s security and stability, acknowledged a deepening of strategic dialogue between the three nations and cast an eye to future engagements and opportunities.
“We had great, insightful and honest discussions about our current landscape and what direction we’re all heading in. We were also able to discuss some of our common challenges and shared some lessons learned, which has been really valuable,” Lieutenant General Stuart said.
“We only have the ability to have such conversations because of the incredibly strong relationship we’ve built over an extended period of time between our three nations. You cannot build trust and relationships overnight when you need them – our commitments to each other, our comradeship and fri