Defence Minister Judith Collins to attend opening of Tonga Armed Forces Centre

Defence Minister Judith Collins
photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

Defence Minister Judith Collins will travel to Tonga for a three-day opening of the Armed Forces Leadership Centre.

The centre, partly funded by $6.5 million from the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be opened by King Tupou VI on Tuesday and offer a programme adapted from New Zealand’s Pacific leadership model.

“New Zealand and Tonga have a long shared military history and the establishment of this leadership centre is a great reflection of that partnership,” she said in a statement.

“This partnership is so important because the Pacific is our home and we all benefit from sharing knowledge and working together to support a secure, stable and prosperous region.”

Collins will depart on Monday and meet with ministers to “discuss regional challenges and opportunities ahead of the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Auckland later this year”.

She will also visit the Tonga National Disaster Risk Management Office to learn about the New Zealand Defence Force’s role in humanitarian and disaster response and training, and tour a Tongan military camp before returning to New Zealand on Wednesday.