NZ Military Personnel meets Brigadier-General Kalouniwai
Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) chief-of-staff BrigadierGeneral Ro Jone Kalouniwai yesterday welcomed a top New Zealand military personnel.
According to the RFMF Media Cell, the Assistant Chief of Strategic Commitments and Engagements (AC SCE), Brigadier-General Evan William, paid a courtesy visit to Brigadier-General Kalouniwai at the RFMF Headquarters (HQ), Berkely Crescent, Suva.
A quarter-guard from the Third Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment greeted the New Zealand officer and his delegation followed by an office discussion. Brigadier-General William concluded his visit by officiating the closing of the Operation ‘Wasawasa’ and a review farewell parade for HMNS Otago at the RFMF Naval Squadron, Stanley Brown base. Meanwhile, the Navy Commander, Captain (Navy) Humphrey Tawake, has thanked Royal New Zealand Navy for their support towards Operation Wasawasa.
“The success of Operation Wasawasa and Operation II speaks volumes of New Zealand’s continual support and cooperation with its Pacific neighbouring countries such as Fiji,” Captain (Navy) Tawake said. “Being a maritime nation Fiji’s vast ocean space of 1.3 million square km is a vital source of wealth to the country.” he said. “As such effective maritime enforcement should rightly be listed as a high for Fiji going forward.
“Tag that fact with the evidence of smuggling and the threats of trafficking in Fiji’s water, the need for regional co-operation such as the likes of Operation Wasawasa cannot be emphasized enough.
“Our identity as a people ties closely with the ocean that surrounds us and so we strive to protect and manage it as best we can,” he said.
Commanding Officer HMNZS Otago, Lieutenant Commander Lorna Gray said: “The aim was to contribute to resource and boarder protection operations with in the Fijian Exclusive Economic Zone.”
Edited by Ranoba Baoa