BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — February 5, 2026 — H.E. President Hilda C. Heine, First Gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr., and delegation toured the Pikenba Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub in Brisbane, Australia, where they received briefings on the Hub’s role as a key regional platform for Pacific cooperation.
The Pikenba Hub is one of the key pillars of the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI) which provides coordination and access to advanced Australian Federal Police (AFP) facilities for training and Pacific Police Support Group (PPSG) deployment preparation. The aim is to support partner nations through integrated logistics, training, and operational coordination, strengthening regional capacity in areas such as disaster preparedness, humanitarian response, and law enforcement collaboration. The visit underscored the importance of sustained regional partnerships in enhancing Pacific’s ability to manage internal and regional security and challenges across the Pacific islands.
During the visit, President Heine also met with Captain Terry Tarkij of the Marshall Islands Police Department, who is currently serving a six-month secondment with the PPSG and has been under secondment since September 2025.
