Pacific defence ministers slow down on military response group expansion - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Pacific defence ministers have signalled they will not rush to expand the remit of a new military response group, with Australia's defence chief saying there must be "absolute consensus" about how it evolves.

The South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting — which draws in Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga — wrapped up yesterday in Fiji.

On top of the agenda was the Pacific Response Group (PRG), which was formed in 2024 as part of a push from Australia and several other governments to develop a more coordinated response to natural disasters in the region.

Foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic says the PRG is looking to expand its scope to stabilisation operations. However due to inherent political complexities, the defence ministers made the group decision to slow down and ensure everyone is on the same page before proceeding.

"I think the PRG is going to be a permanent feature of the landscape and it is probably going to play a more and more prominent role over the coming 10, 20 years or so," Dziedzic said. "The only question here is how rapidly does it evolve? "

The Pacific Response Group, an initiative emerging from the South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting is designed to bring together Pacific militaries to work collectively in providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.(Supplied: Fiji Ministry of Defence & Veterans Affairs)