Signing the Tonga-NZ Visiting Forces Agreement, Lord Tu'ivakano and New Zealand Defence Minister, Hon. Dr Johanthan Coleman. Nuku'alofa, 1 May 2013

Tonga and New Zealand today signed a Tonga-NZ Visiting Forces Agreement that will allow members of the New Zealand Defence Force to stay temporarily in Tonga and increase joint operation with the Tonga Defence Services.

Tonga's Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano and New Zealand's Minister of Defence Hon. Dr Jonathan Coleman signed the treaty level agreement at the Tonga Defence Headquarters in Nuku'alofa, during the first South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting hosted by Tonga on May 1-2.

Lord Tu'ivakano said the agreement  will enable increased inter-operability with Tonga Defence Services while strengthening the relationship between our two countries.

Dr Coleman said TDS is a valuable partner for NZDF and they had worked closely together on regional security operations such as the Regional Assistance Mission in Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

"New Zealand's defence relationship with Tonga is priority within the South Pacific region," he said.

The South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting in Tonga is attended by Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France and Chile with the United States and United Kingdom as observers.