No China bases ever: Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Sogavare has made a pitch for more Australian funding as he vowed to not do anything to jeopardise regional peace and security.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has made a pitch for more Australian funding to build infrastructure across his country as he vowed to not do anything to jeopardise regional peace and security.
In a face-to-face meeting with Anthony Albanese in Canberra, Mr Sogavare also accepted an offer of Australian support to stage the country’s national election, which he initially lashed as “foreign interference”.
The move followed Australia’s confirmation the election funding was still available for the country’s now-delayed poll.
Mr Sogavare reiterated there would be no Chinese base in his country, telling the Prime Minister “the key to long-term peace and security in Solomon Islands” was to address infrastructure needs.
He said the country’s nine provinces needed “roads, bridges, market outlets for products, schools and hospitals – the list goes on”.
“If Solomon Islands, with the help of development partners, can address these priorities for all provinces, long-term peace and security and economic development will look after itself,” he said at the opening of their meeting.
He pushed for an updated partnership agreement between the countries “to ensure it appropriately captures current and new avenues of co-operation”.
The call for support came just months after Mr Sogavare accused Australia and the US of threatening to invade his country and treating it like a dangerous child, amid heightened bilateral tensions over his controversial security pact with China.
Mr Sogavare told Mr Albanese he would “not do anything that will undermine our national security”, or jeopardise the security of the Pacific Island region.
“Prime Minister, I reiterate again that Solomon Islands will never be used for foreign military installations or institutions of foreign countries because this will not be in the interest of Solomon Island and its people,” he said.
“My government’s legacy is to safeguard the future of Solomon Islands and its people, not endanger the country and its citizens or the security of any (Pacific Island Forum) country.”
Mr Albanese thanked Mr Sogavare for his “clear and unequivocal commitments. They are the commitments of a friend.”
“We regard security in our region as being critical and we also regard the need to uplift the living standards and quality of life of people in the Pacific as being absolutely critical,” he said.
Mr Albanese said Australia looked forward to supporting Solomon Islands’ infrastructure priorities, “including infrastructure needed to adapt to our changing climate”.
He said Australia regarded itself as being part of the Pacific family, and “like families we won’t always agree”.
It was the second meeting between the leaders after earlier talks in Fiji during the Pacific Island Forum in July, and followed a series of stinging attacks on Australia by Mr Sogavare since his China security agreement.
Mr Sogavare declined to face the Australian media, as usually occurs during official visits.
According to an official statement on the meeting, the leaders “reaffirmed mutual security commitments, and the Pacific family-first approach to regional peace and security”.
They discussed economic co-operation, trade, expanded work opportunities for Solomon Islanders in Australia, university scholarships, and the Pacific Engagement Visa offering permanent residency in Australia for up to 3000 Pacific Islanders a year.
Australia’s development support for infrastructure, health, education and governance was also discussed.
Mr Sogavare welcomed Australia’s $16m commitment to help the country host the 2023 Pacific Games – an event heavily sponsored by China – and the offer of election support.
Mr Albanese later hosted Mr Sogavare for dinner at The Lodge, telling his counterpart, “I hope you like fish”.
Former Australian high commissioner to Solomon Islands James Batley said the meeting had been an important one for both leaders, given the “residual mistrust” between the countries.
He said Mr Sogavare needed to reassure his own people that Australia remained a close friend of Solomon Islands because many there were worried “that their Prime Minister has been so vehemently critical of Australia”.
Mr Batley said Mr Albanese needed to reassure his counterpart that Australia remained an “indispensable partner”, and to convey that “your decisions affect our national security”.
Mr Sogavare’s visit came weeks after he successfully extended his term as leader in a parliamentary vote, declaring the country couldn’t afford to stage the election when it was due in 2023 because it was hosting the Pacific Games.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong offered Australian support to allow the elections to go ahead as scheduled, in a move that Mr Sogavare pilloried as “an assault on our parliamentary democracy”.