The United States and Fiji have started negotiations on an agreement that will facilitate “military-to-military engagements” between the two nations, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Nov. 22.
Once finalized, the deal, dubbed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), will expand U.S.-Fiji defense cooperation through “increased exercises” between their militaries, according to the Pentagon chief.
Austin made the remarks following a meeting with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka that same day. Austin’s visit marked the first-ever by a U.S. defense secretary to the Pacific island nation.
The SOFA is a legal pact establishing the terms that American troops are allowed to operate in a foreign country….