SUVA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon have pledged to bolster efforts to combat the growing drug trafficking problem in the Pacific region.
Both leaders expressed deep concern over the impact of drugs on the countries at a press conference here on Thursday.
Luxon highlighted that Fiji and New Zealand police forces have been working closely together on tackling drug problem, which is "a big challenge."
Luxon visited the Fiji Police Detector Dog Unit later on the day, urging continued investment in detector dogs to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking.
He reiterated New Zealand's commitment to assisting Fiji and the region in combating narcotics.
Rabuka highlighted the recent significant drug bust in Fiji, emphasizing the scale of the problem.
Earlier this week, the Fijian cabinet endorsed the National Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023-2028.
Key focus areas under the strategy include reducing demand for narcotics, reducing supply, reducing harm, legislative reform, data collection, analysis, and information sharing, the establishment of a drug addiction treatment center, and partnership, coordination, and international cooperation. ■
