Tikoduadua made the announcement while welcoming defence ministers, secretaries, chiefs of defence forces, heads of delegation from observer states and other delegations to Black Rock Camp.
The Crown Prince of Tonga, Western Defence Ministers, senior officials, members of the media and members of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces were also present.
Tikoduadua says Fiji has demonstrated through the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting, or SPADM, and the development of the Pacific Response Group, commonly known as the PRG, that Pacific countries are prepared to respond to future crises as one.
He says Fiji would be honoured to host the PRG and support the construct as it continues to develop as an effective regional response mechanism.
He says the Pacific Response Group has grown into an important reflection of Pacific military cooperation.
Tikoduadua says Black Rock Camp is purpose-built to support regional military cooperation.
He describes it as a world-class facility established not only for peacekeeping, but also to support multilateral regional training, exercises and activities.
He says the venue provides an important opportunity to bring Pacific partners together, strengthen coordination and interoperability, and further develop the collective capacity to respond to humanitarian and disaster situations across the region.
The Minister says for Fiji, this is about putting our commitment to the Pacific family into practical action.
Tikoduadua says hosting the Pacific Response Group would allow Fiji to continue building relationships, strengthening capabilities and ensuring countries are better prepared to support one another where it matters most.
He said Black Rock is an important part of that work and welcomed Pacific partners to see some of the capacity and capability for themselves.
Tikoduadua also highlighted Fiji’s long-standing contribution to peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
He says Fiji has answered the call to serve in peacekeeping missions across the world for nearly half a century, beginning with its first deployment to Lebanon in 1978.
He confirms tens of thousands of Fijians have since served in Africa, Asia and elsewhere, often in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous environments.
Tikoduadua says for a small island nation, this represents an extraordinary contribution and reflects Fiji’s belief that working for peace is a shared responsibility of all nations, large or small.
He says Pacific countries face shared challenges, including natural disasters, climate-related emergencies and other security challenges that require them to work together.
