Manele confident in Australia’s readiness to bolster new partnership with Solomon Islands

 

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele is confident that Australia stands ready to boost its development support to Solomon Islands in a new partnership arrangement between the two neighboring countries.

Manele returned from his first official visit to Australia on Saturday following his election as Prime Minister last month.

During his visit, Manele met with his Australian counterpart, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and a host of other senior Australian leaders.

Manele said the engagements have been fruitful and rewarding for both countries as they foster new understanding and directions to bolster the ongoing partnership between the two countries.

“It is evident from my discussions with these leaders that Australia is committed and stands ready to transform the partnership between our countries to new heights and this is something that I welcomed,” the Prime Minister said.

Solomon Islands and Australia have enjoyed a long-standing history of bilateral cooperation and people-to-people links, guided by our shared futures and mutual respect for Sovereignty.

Since Solomon Islands political independence in 1978, Australia has been our partner of choice in our development aspirations and has also invested heavily in the peace and security of our country in particular during the period RAMSI, providing support to Solomon Islands, and also during the period following the 2021 civil unrest.

Australia’s support over the years has enabled Solomon Islands to realise many of its development priorities through enhanced cooperation and partnership in economic development, infrastructure, education, health, police and security, border management capacity through Customs, Immigration and biosecurity, climate change, socio-cultural development, and people to people connection.

Since the Government of National Unity and Transformation came into office this year, Prime Minister Manele received several high-level visits by Senior Government Leaders from Australia, notably the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Richard Marles visit in May and Senator Penny Wong, Australia’s Foreign Minister in early June.

“These visits demonstrate the depth of our relationship and further strengthen our partnership. My recent visit to Australia is a manifestation of the enduring partnership between Australia and Solomon Islands,” Manele said.

During the visit, Manele used the opportunity to thank the Australian government and people for all the assistance and support Australia rendered to Solomon Islands over the past many years. This includes the recent delivery of safe, secure, and transparent joint national, provincial, and Honiara city council elections and the successful hosting of the largest and the most successful Pacific Games, with security support from Pacific Islands Forum members.

Manele also used the visit to discuss with Prime Minister Albanese and his government ways to lift the current Solomon Islands-Australia relationship to another level, through transformational partnership.

“I stressed that Solomon Islands priority now, is the revitalization of our economy through transformative engagements in our productive and resource sectors to help drive our economy. I emphasized our wish to work with all partners through our policy of ‘friends to all and enemies to none’ to achieve economic transformation. We discussed key priority areas that Australia may be able to assist Solomon Islands in,” Manele said.

Manele emphasized that his Government is keen to build a prosperous, united, and resilient nation with support from its partners to assist us in achieving its aspirations.

Australia has been the partner of choice since Solomon Islands political independence and currently supports the largest development and security cooperation programs in Solomon Islands.

ENDS///