Albanese’s Pacific Push: Australia Forges Ahead with Fiji Security Treaty Talks as Vanuatu Deal Falters
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Fiji’s Sitiveni Rabuka to discuss new bilateral security treaty
- Australia’s $500 million agreement with Vanuatu remains unsigned as talks continue
- Pacific leaders gather in Solomon Islands to discuss climate change and regional challenges
Anthony! Albanese has given the green light for officials to proceed with negotiations for a new security treaty with Fiji, following a meeting with the Pacific nation’s prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting.
The move comes as Australia’s $500 million agreement with Vanuatu remains unsigned, despite high hopes for a deal. Mr Albanese remains optimistic about the pact, but officials have been left frustrated by the delay.
In a significant development, Mr Rabuka raised the prospect of upgrading his country’s partnership with Australia during a speech in Canberra earlier this year. The Fijian prime minister has since written to Mr Albanese asking to kickstart negotiations, which the Australian leader has welcomed.
“We are certainly up for it, and I think we should get our officials working together to make sure we take this important relationship to the next level,” Mr Albanese said.
When questioned about whether Australia would offer Fiji security guarantees, Mr Albanese remained tight-lipped, saying only that the country was open to expanding defence ties. “It could range from increased interoperability, the sort of training that we are seeing with the Pacific Policing Initiative, being expanded to increased engagement between our defence forces,” he said.
Pacific Island leaders have gathered in Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara for the Pacific Islands Forum meeting, where climate change and other regional challenges will be top of the agenda. The Pacific Resilience Facility, a climate change fund, is set to be ratified by leaders this afternoon.
Mr Albanese has reiterated Australia’s commitment to supporting Pacific nations on climate change, saying the country had a responsibility to help its neighbours dealing with the impacts of global warming. “We need! to provide support for our Pacific family members,” he said.
The prime minister’s comments come as Australia faces increasing competition from China in the region. China has donated 27 cars to help Solomon Islands run the Pacific Islands Forum meeting, a move seen as a symbol of its growing influence in the Pacific.
When asked about the Chinese donation, Mr Albanese seemed incredulous, saying “Seriously? It’s a car. Cars get you from A to B.”