III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 610 

Recognizing that for 50 years, the Republic of Fiji has worked with the 

United States toward stability, prosperity, and peace in the Pacific and 

beyond, and expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States 

will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the 

Pacific. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 8, 2020 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Ms. HIRONO) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing that for 50 years, the Republic of Fiji has 

worked with the United States toward stability, prosperity, and peace in the Pacific and beyond, and expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States will 

continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner 

in the Pacific. 

Whereas Fiji became independent of the United Kingdom on 

October 10, 1970; 

Whereas Fiji is a valued security partner of the United 

States, participating in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, which sends members of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to professional military education courses in the United States; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 610 IS 

Whereas the Republic of Fiji Military Forces deployed to 

Australia in January 2020 to assist with the Australian 

bushfires and look to contribute to future United Nations 

peacekeeping operations; 

Whereas Fiji participates in workshops sponsored by United 

States Indo-Pacific Command covering international humanitarian law, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), maritime security, peacekeeping, and 

search and rescue operations; 

Whereas, since signing a shiprider agreement with Fiji in 

2019, the United States has hosted Fijian shipriders on 

United States Navy and Coast Guard vessels; 

Whereas the United States Government supports strengthening cooperative activities with the Government of Fiji, 

including sustainable fisheries management and those authorized by the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 

(Public Law 115–109); 

Whereas section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization 

Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92) expands 

the number of countries that receive assistance under the 

Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, including Fiji; 

Whereas a peaceful, prosperous, and open Indo-Pacific rooted 

in a rule-based order that promotes security, opportunity, 

and dignity to all peoples benefits the people of both the 

United States and Fiji; 

Whereas Fiji restored democratic governance in 2014; 

Whereas over 30,000 United States citizens trace their roots 

to Fiji, and many of these reside in California; 

Whereas Fiji has hosted the Peace Corps since 1968; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 610 IS 

Whereas Des Plaines, Illinois, and Nailuva, Fiji, are sister 

cities, a broad-based, long-term partnership to promote 

peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation centered on people-to-people exchanges; and 

Whereas the Nevada National Guard entered into a State 

Partnership Program with Fiji in 2019: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the Republic of Fiji on a success3 ful return to democracy and 2 elections deemed to 

4 be free and fair by international observers; 

5 (2) supports and affirms the full implementa6 tion of provisions of the Asia Reassurance Initiative 

7 Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–409) with regard to 

8 deepening its cooperation with Fiji in areas of mu9 tual interest, including fisheries and marine resource 

10 conservation, environmental challenges and resil11 ience, global health, development and trade, and peo12 ple-to-people ties, as well as continuing United 

13 States assistance, as appropriate, to support the rule 

14 of law, good governance, and economic development; 

15 and 

16 (3) recognizes Fiji’s participation in multi17 national security forces and multilateral institutions, 

18 including the United Nations, the International 

19 Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Devel20 opment Bank, the International Atomic Energy 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 610 IS 

1 Agency, the World Trade Organization, the Pacific 

2 Community, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Re3 gional Environmental Programme, and the Pacific 

4 Islands Forum. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS