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The federal Coalition has welcomed the signing of the Vuvale Union Treaty and the Ocean of Peace Alliance between Australia and Fiji, agreements it says build on a partnership first struck under the former Coalition government.
In a joint statement, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Ted O’Brien and Shadow Minister for Defence James Paterson said the two agreements extend the Vuvale Partnership signed when the Coalition was last in office.
The pair cast the treaties as a reflection of ties between Australia and Fiji built up over decades.
The Coalition singled out the Ocean of Peace Alliance, pointing to its framework for a “more regionally focused security pact” of the kind it has been advocating for.
O’Brien and Paterson characterised the Australia-Fiji relationship as one built on mutual benefit, shared interests and history, people-to-people links and a common stake in the region’s future.
Following a Pacific visit
According to the statement, the signing followed O’Brien’s own visit to Papua New Guinea and Fiji, which the Coalition put forward as evidence of its focus on Pacific relationships.
The two frontbenchers repeated the Coalition’s call for “a return to bipartisanship on Pacific policy”, adding that the agreements build on a bipartisan record of deepening ties with the region.
Pointing to a Pacific record
The Coalition used the statement to list its past Pacific work, including the Pacific Step-up, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, labour mobility reforms, the Coral Sea Cable and support for regional telecommunications connectivity.
O’Brien and Paterson said the Coalition would seek a briefing on the agreements from the government in coming weeks.
Last Updated on July 6, 2026 by Nick Ross
