PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says it’s important that Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua visits Fijian troops on his 42-day overseas tour.
The mission takes place in the Golan Heights, Jerusalem and Tiberias, and the Sinai.
“It is very important for us to maintain the morale of our servicemen overseas,” Mr Rabuka said.
“And it’s important for him to go and visit them, particularly at this time when they are under extreme threat of violence and deaths with the ongoing fighting and various elements involved in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, Mr Tikoduadua says he’s not travelling abroad on a vacation.
“This trip spans multiple countries because our troops are spread across multiple missions,” Mr Tikoduadua said.
“I will not pick and choose which deployments are worth the airfare.”
He said the trip was not about photo opportunities.
“It is about fulfilling my duty of care, to hear their concerns directly.”
