New Zealand's defence minister says an Air Force Orion aircraft will be sent to Fiji on Saturday, formally resuming defence ties between the two countries.
NZ Airforce Orion Photo: RNZ / Kate Newton
New Zealand's defence minister says an Air Force Orion aircraft will be sent to Fiji on Saturday, formally resuming defence ties between the two countries.
The minister, Gerry Brownlee, says the plane will carry out maritime surveillance of Fiji's exclusive economic zone.
Mr Brownlee says the flight marks the first significant military contact between the two countries since ties were cut following the coup in 2006.
The two countries announced that ties would resume in December, when Mr Brownlee visited Fiji following the elections in September.
