Three new patrol vessels will be provided to Fiji this year by the Government of Japan, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s fight against the growing drug crisis.

Hiroshi Tajima confirmed the support, stating that Japan deeply understands the severity of the situation and is fully cooperating with Fiji to address what he described as an “imminent threat”.

“We understand that this is a very imminent threat to Fiji and other small island states,” Ambassador Tajima said when questioned about the escalating drug problem.

The additional patrol vessels are expected to boost Fiji’s maritime surveillance and border enforcement capacity, particularly as drug trafficking networks increasingly exploit Pacific sea routes to move illicit substances across the region.

The Ambassador, who assumed office in December 2025 as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Fiji, said security cooperation remains a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.

He stressed that Japan intends to continue and enhance its partnership with Fiji, not only in security cooperation but also in people-to-people exchanges and collaboration in disaster prevention, health and education.

However, amid rising concerns over drug trafficking and its social impact, the provision of the three vessels signals a clear commitment by Japan to support Fiji’s frontline efforts to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the country.