Australia and Fiji have signed a new defence alliance aimed at strengthening security cooperation in the Pacific region, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka signing the agreement in Suva on Monday.

According to AAP Newsroom, the agreement, known as the Ocean of Peace Alliance, commits both countries to support each other if either nation faces an armed attack, while also requiring consultation on security issues that could threaten the sovereignty of either country.

The alliance is the fourth formal defence agreement Australia has signed, following existing arrangements with the United States, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

For Fiji, it marks the country’s first formal defence alliance.

Under the agreement, other Pacific countries may also join in the future if there is unanimous agreement from existing members.

Broader Partnership Between Australia and Fiji

Alongside the defence agreement, Australia and Fiji also signed the Vuvale Union, a separate partnership covering cooperation in areas including economic development, health, migration and climate change.

Both agreements are supported by a combined commitment of $1 billion over the next 10 years.

The signing comes as Australia continues to expand its engagement with Pacific Island countries, following the recent signing of the Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu, valued at $500 million, and the defence partnership with Papua New Guinea known as the PukPuk Treaty.

The agreements form part of Australia’s broader effort to deepen partnerships in the region amid growing strategic competition in the Pacific.

Source: AAP