SUVA - Fiji and New Zealand have signed a maritime cooperation agreement, which allows the two neighbors to collaborate in the sharing of technical expertise and knowledge, the Fijian government said Friday.

The agreement, signed between the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji and Maritime New Zealand, adds to the existing agreement of the recognition of certificates of competencies for seafarers between the two countries which allows seafarers to trade skills of seamanship in any organization based in both Fiji and New Zealand, according to Fiji's Department of Information.

The agreement marks a positive development toward improving maritime cooperation between the two countries, officials of both countries say.