New Delhi: The leaders of Australia and the Solomon Islands met and discussed a plan to strengthen their nation-to-nation partnership, with a focus on economic growth and development.
During a meeting in Canberra on 26 June, the two leaders committed to work together to achieve shared ambitions and overcome challenges through a partnership that is “equitable and enduring,” the Australian government said in a statement.
This approach will “foster greater cooperation to assist Solomon Islands to strengthen its sovereignty and resilience and to move faster towards achieving its economic, development and security objectives,” it said.
The statement added that economic growth and job creation were “vital for Solomon Islands’ future,” and that Australia was committed “to creating jobs, delivering priority infrastructure and building prosperity for Solomon Islanders.”
Australia is a key tourism market for Solomon Islands, and leaders agreed to “continue to work together to identify ways to attract increased international investment to provide secure and quality infrastructure for Solomon Islands,” the statement said.
Leaders noted the importance of building a “three-tiered” security arrangement for Solomon Islands, comprising enhanced domestic capability of a strengthened and empowered Royal Solomon Islands Police Force; assistance from Melanesian Spearhead Group countries through bilateral or collective engagement; and activation of bilateral or collective support from Pacific Islands Forum members.
The two sides committed to work together to tackle climate change, and to support the Solomon Islands Government’s health strategy, including its aspiration to eliminate domestic transmission of malaria by 2030.