Minister for Defence, National Security and Policing, Inia Seruiratu today met with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Department of Operational Support, Mr Atul Khare, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The two met on the margins of the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and centred their discussions on Fiji-UN cooperation, specifically in the area of peacekeeping operations and support to UN international staff.
At the meeting, Minister Seruiratu conveyed Fiji's appreciation to the UN for its support towards our peacekeeping efforts and security cooperation.
He also assured Mr Khare of Fiji’s commitment to the UN and its peacekeeping efforts with its partners.
In response, Mr Khare commended Fiji's commitment to global peace and security, amongst other important things.
Meanwhile, Minister Seruiratu also met with the UN Counter-Terrorism Directorate where they discussed important issues such as regional security and Fiji's engagements to develop trans-national cooperation.
He also met with the acting Under-Secretary-General, Department of Peace Operations, Mr Alexandre Zouve, where they advanced discussions on our defence cooperation.
More training and development opportunities at the Blackrock Peacekeeping and HADR Camp were also discussed at the meeting.
Mr Zouve acknowledged Fiji's contribution to peacekeeping and said that Fiji is the highest contributor of peacekeeping per capita globally.
Mr Zouve assured the Minister that the UN stands ready to assist with best practices, sharing, and assistance through the Integrated Training Office and other training development opportunities.