Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Holds an On Camera, On the Record Press Briefing in Fiji

STAFF: We'll start with the opening remarks of the honorable Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER SITIVENI RABUKA: Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin, members of the press corps, ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to this bilateral press conference. I'm sure you will agree that today marks a historic moment in the United States - Fiji security relationship with its first ever visit by a United States Secretary of Defense to Fiji.

And Fiji and the United States have a long-standing bilateral defense and security relationship. So, it's been my privilege and my honor to welcome the United States Secretary of Defense to this part of the world. We all pray that it's not part, it's not an indication that we are looking at some dangerous years ahead.

We're here to talk about peace and how we guard, protect and promote that peace. It's been my privilege to welcome the secretary general, sorry - Secretary Austin. He is a general, so I keep putting the general in - and the delegation to our shores to discuss great issues of mutual importance to the two nations. And once again, welcome General.

Our meeting today builds on a number of engagements that we have had with the United States this year, including the signing of the new Fiji-US air transport agreement in August in Tonga. The establishment of the USA Pacific Regional Office in Fiji with the signing of the Bilateral Framework Agreement in October in Suva and continuing close engagement and expansion with the Peace Corps in Fiji and the region.

These are all marked agreements between Fiji and the United States and is indicative of the strength of the United States' support towards Fiji's priorities. It's also very timely given that the Fiji government recently launched the Fiji National Development Plan, NDP 2025 to 2029, and Vision 2050 followed by our own Foreign Policy White Paper in September of this year.

With these key policies in place, we welcome the active engagement of the United States, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the United States going forward, including with the new incoming Trump administration. Later today, we will see the signing of the acquisition and cross-servicing agreement which will open doors in terms of logistic

support between Fiji, Fiji's Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration and the United States Department of Defense.

As the US is one of our longest-standing defense partners, that agreement is a positive step towards a strengthened partnership. Fiji has benefited greatly from the US-Fiji defense relationship through many programs and joining - and joint collaborations that has enabled us to protect our borders and marine resources and has assisted us in tackling transnational crimes.

Today indeed marks another milestone in the Fiji-United States relationship and we look forward to continued efforts to strengthen collaboration. And I thank you very much [inaudible].

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN: Mr. Prime Minister, thanks for the warm welcome and the outstanding hospitality. I'm very proud to be the first US Secretary of Defense to ever visit Fiji. It's an honor to be here. Our relationship is rooted in common values and our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific is our priority theater and strengthening our partnerships with Fiji and other Pacific Island countries is vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

In our meeting today, we discussed the security environment and Fiji's role as a regional leader. We discussed how we're deepening our bilateral cooperation. This includes a new acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, and I'll sign that agreement with the Ministry for Home Affairs and Immigration later today. This agreement will mean closer ties, closer logistics cooperation between our forces, including for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

We're also announcing the start of negotiations on a Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA. Once complete, the SOFA will expand our bilateral defense cooperation through increased exercises and military-to-military engagements. We also covered the new security assistance that the United States is providing to Fiji, including $4.9 million in foreign military financing pending congressional approval.

And finally, we discussed the unique and varied security challenges in the Pacific Islands region. Maritime security is essential, so I'm pleased that our first delivery of rigid hull inflatable boats will arrive in the next several months. And soon after, we'll deliver a new boat ramp to support maritime patrols like maritime patrols of your waters.

And we'll continue expanding our exercises and engagement together, including through the annual cartwheel exercise and through your close partnership with the Nevada National Guard. And later today, I'll meet with Secretary General Luongo of the Pacific

Islands Forum. This will be yet another opportunity to demonstrate America's growing commitment to the Pacific Islands.

Mr. Prime Minister, thanks again for your tremendous hospitality. I am looking forward to advancing our close partnership. And with that we'll take some questions.

STAFF: Thank you, Secretary of Defense, sir. You'll open up the questions as to our Fijian colleagues, Latia from Fiji Life. I think there's a microphone to your left. Your first question, please.

Q: Good morning, Prime Minister. Good morning, Secretary Austin. Fiji has always considered climate change a national security threat, and we have President-elect Trump who considers climate change a hoax, and who has also in the past pulled out of the Paris Accord. The question is what does the Pacific who face real threats to their homeland, expect real leadership style from the US?

And also, hard drugs. Methamphetamine has also become a serious issue in Fiji, particularly in Fiji in terms of technical support in the help to fight this epidemic. How does the US intend to assist Fijian authorities? And to the Prime Minister, on the issue of immigration, have you considered Minister Tikoduadua's immediate stepping aside, in regard to what - the issuance of passports to Grace Roads? Thank you, sirs.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AUSTIN: Well, thanks for the question. I can't tell you what the next administration will do in terms of policy adjustments or things of that nature. What I can tell you is that I'm absolutely proud of the work that we've done. We've advanced things in a number of areas and we've strengthened our relationship.

And as you heard me just say, we're going to continue to invest in our relationship. I think that's profoundly in both of our interests to continue to do so, to continue to work together and continue to strengthen our relationship. I think our efforts to strengthen that relationship have made both of our countries safer, and certainly promoted the interest of the people of Fiji and the people of the United States of America.

And I truly believe that the strength of those relationships will endure far beyond transition of administrations. I think the United States enjoys the strongest network of allies and partners in the world. We have the largest network of allies and partners in the world.

And our relationship with our allies and partners around the globe has enabled us to sustain our efforts and to endure a number of challenges globally. And I'm confident that our strong relationship that we have now will continue to blossom.

PRIME MINISTER RABUKA: How about we trust that the United States' actions, under whatever administration, will dovetail well with what we are trying to do in the Pacific. Fiji

will continue to advocate and look for support for the various programs that come under the ambit of climate change. And I'm sure we will get good cooperation from the United States of America.

On the local issue on immigration, that is a sad chapter and a sad reality of leadership and administration. And that one I will answer when I have the opportunity to talk to the Acting Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration. In the meantime, there has been some suspension of senior officials in relation to the Department of Immigration.

STAFF: Our next question will go to Mosheh Gains, NBC News.

Q: Thank you both for doing this. Secretary Austin, there's been reporting that a senior North Korean general was wounded in a recent Ukrainian strike. Can you confirm this? And have you seen any indications that North Korean soldiers are currently in active combat against Ukrainian troops? And then separately, with the SOFA agreement, in addition to growing exercises, can you elaborate at all on how the US force presence here may grow or change either permanently or on a rotational basis? And have there been any specific requests or asks from Fiji in this regard? Thank you.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AUSTIN: Regarding the injury of a senior North Korean official, I'm aware of the reporting, Mosheh, but I'm not able to corroborate anything for you at this point in time.

In terms of whether or not the North Koreans have been actively engaged in combat, while we've not seen significant reporting of that to date, I said a while ago, a couple days ago that there were some 10,000 or so North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. And they were being integrated into the Russian formations. And based upon what they've been trained on, the way that they've been integrated into the Russian formations, I fully expect to see them engaged in combat soon.

Regarding the SOFA, the SOFA will enable us to deploy and redeploy forces in support of Fiji and help us train with the Fijis - with the Fijians very - on a very routine basis. I look for routine rotations, training rotations where possible to be conducted. There is no notion, Mosh, of any permanent bases to be to be established here in Fiji. We did not have any discussions like that. So - but we do enjoy training with our great partners here in Fiji and look forward to more of that in the future.

UNKNOWN: Our final question will go to Brad Peniston, Defense One.

Q: Thank you very much to you both. Secretary Austin, this trip has seen many accomplishments. I wonder if you could talk to us a little bit about things that you had hoped to accomplish but didn't manage to on this trip or in the region in general?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AUSTIN: Well, thanks. This is my 12th trip to the region, and I think you've heard me say that every time we come to the region or every time we travel, we have specific things that we set out to do. And certainly, that is the case with this visit. We accomplished those key things that we wanted to accomplish.

But I would just point to the fact that in those 12 visits that we've made to the Indo-Pacific, we have done a number of things that in some cases years ago would not have been imaginable. If you look at the things that we're about to do not only with Fiji you but also what we've done with Australia, Japan, ROK, Philippines, we really have accomplished a lot.

And we've been focused on working with the countries - like-minded countries to promote an open and secure Indo-Pacific region where countries can protect their interests and also feel free to sail international waterways and fly international skies wherever international law allows.

So, we've accomplished a great deal and, again, I really have appreciated the ability to come to Fiji and not only close the ACSA agreement, which we've been working on for 10 years, but also move forward as quickly as possible on the Status of Forces Agreement.

Q: And anything you haven't been able to accomplish, Mr. Secretary?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AUSTIN: Well, again, we've accomplished a lot, and we've accomplished the things that we set out to accomplish.

STAFF: Prime Minister, Secretary Austin, thank you so much for your time. All the questions have been answered from the media representatives of Fiji as well as the American media. Thank you so much, sir.

PRIME MINISTER RABUKA: Thank you.

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