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 Australia |  Solomon Islands |
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Foreign relations exist between Australia and Solomon Islands. Australia has a High Commission in Honiara and Solomon Islands has a High Commission in Canberra. The two countries are members of the Pacific Islands Forum. [1]
In the 1950s, British and Australian government officials discussed transferring sovereignty of the British Solomon Islands to Australia. The Australian external affairs minister Paul Hasluck brought a proposal for a transfer to cabinet in 1956, but it was rejected primarily for reasons of cost. [2] [3]
Under the government of Prime Minister John Howard, Australia's relations with Manasseh Sogavare's Solomon Islands were strained, primarily because of the "Julian Moti affair". Sogavare notably accused Australia of conducting neo-colonialism in the Solomon Islands via RAMSI. On 1 October 2007, the Solomon Islands' Foreign Affairs Minister Patteson Oti addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations, and accused Australia of undermining his country's sovereignty:
Mine is too nationalistic a government to become captive to the fortunes which justify our perpetual retention under siege. My [country's government] remain[s] unmoved by Australian resistance to our attempts to reclaim our sovereignty and independence. [4]
This led Australia to exercise its right of reply, denying the accusation. [5] Relations subsequently improved when both Howard and Sogavare lost office in December 2007, and their successors Kevin Rudd and Derek Sikua immediately set out to improve relations between Canberra and Honiara.[ citation needed ]
In late March 2022, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton expressed opposition to a draft security pact between China and the Solomon Islands that would allow Beijing to deploy military forces in the country and establish a military base. [6] [7] Similar concerns about the Sino-Solomon Islands security pact were expressed by the New Zealand Government. [8] In response, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare defended the security pact with China, criticising the leaking of the document and objecting to the Australian media's coverage of the security pact. [9] In addition, the Chinese Government defended law enforcement and bilateral cooperation with the Solomon Islands and disputed Australian criticism that Beijing was coercing the Solomon Islands. [10]
Australia is a significant foreign aid donor to the Solomon Islands, and the country's main development partner. According to the Australian government, their aid in the Solomon Islands is focused on "improving health, education, water and sanitation, transport, telecommunications, law and justice, rural livelihoods and effective governance." [11] In 2018-19, Australia donated $187 million to the Solomon Islands, making it the second biggest recipient of Australian aid, behind Papua New Guinea, which received $572.2 million in 2018-19. [12]
Australia led other nations as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. Over 7,000 Australian Defence Force members have been deployed in the Solomon Islands as part of that mission. [13] In 2013, the Australian government committed $500 million to assisting the Solomon Islands through the regional assistance mission in the following four years. [14] The mission officially ended on 30 June 2017.
In June 2018, the two countries signed an agreement for the sinking of an undersea high speed internet link between the Solomon Islands and the Australian mainland. Though seen as a security issue for Australia, it is believed more than $100 million will come out of Australia's aid budget. [15]
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in the Melanesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. This page is about the history of the nation state rather than the broader geographical area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which covers both Solomon Islands and Bougainville Island, a province of Papua New Guinea. For the history of the archipelago not covered here refer to the former administration of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, the North Solomon Islands and the History of Bougainville.
Politics of Solomon Islands takes place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic, constitutional monarchy. Solomon Islands is an independent Commonwealth realm, where executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and a multi-party parliament.
Solomon Islands is a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. It has a land area of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi), and a population of 652,858. Its capital, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the North Solomon Islands, but excludes outlying islands, such as the Santa Cruz Islands and Rennell and Bellona.
The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), also known as Operation Helpem Fren, Operation Anode and Operation Rata, was created in 2003 in response to a request for international aid by the Governor-General of Solomon Islands. Helpem Fren means "help a friend" in Solomon Islands Pidgin. The mission officially ended on 30 June 2017.
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare is a Solomon Islands politician serving as the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands since 24 April 2019. He has previously held the role of Prime Minister between 2000 and 2001, between 2006 and 2007, and between 2014 and 2017. Before becoming Prime Minister, Sogavare served in the National Parliament as Member for East Choiseul beginning in 1997.
Snyder Rini is a Solomon Islands politician who was briefly the eighth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from April to May 2006 and was Minister for Finance and Treasury 2000–2001, 2002–2003, 2007–2010 and 2014–2017. He has represented Marovo Constituency in National Parliament since 1997.
John Patteson Oti, sometimes called Patterson Oti, is a Solomon Islands politician and diplomat. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Immigration from May 2006 to 22 December 2007. He is the secretary general of the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party, which was launched in early 2010. Since March 2012, he has been his country's High Commissioner to Fiji.
General elections were held in the Solomon Islands on 5 April 2006. No party won more than four of the fifty seats, while thirty seats went to independent candidates. A number of those subsequently formed an Association of Independent Members of Parliament, with Snyder Rini as their leader. Rini was elected Prime Minister by Parliament on 18 April, amidst "widespread street protests" in Honiara, which caused particular damage in the city's Chinatown. Rioters "alleged corruption and insisted that Mr. Rini had been unfairly favouring Chinese businessmen". While the riots ceased with the arrival of Australian and New Zealand peacekeeping troops the next day, the opposition soon lodged a motion of no confidence in Rini's premiership. Rini resigned on 26 April, having been Prime Minister for just eight days. Opposition parties united in a coalition and succeeded in having Manasseh Sogavare, of the Solomon Islands Social Credit Party, elected Prime Minister on 4 May.
Solomon Islands – United States relations are bilateral relations between Solomon Islands and the United States.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is Australia's closest neighbour and a former colony of Australia. Both nations share the same continent. Papua New Guinea has developed much closer relations with Australia than with Indonesia, the only country with which it shares a land border. The two countries are Commonwealth realms. In contemporary times, Papua New Guinea is one of the largest recipients of Australian aid. Critics have pointed to instances where this has led to an outsized Australian influence on Papua New Guinea politics.
Fiji–Solomon Islands relations are diplomatic and other bilateral relations between the Republic of Fiji and Solomon Islands. Diplomatic relations are cordial, although the Solomon Islands government has aligned itself with other countries in the region to urge Fiji interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to restore democracy in Fiji. Fiji and the Solomons are both located in Melanesia, and are both members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. They also participate in other regional organisations including the Pacific Islands Forum. In August 2008, it was announced that Solomon Islands intended to open a High Commission in Suva, and in December the government of Fiji announced that it had "formally endorsed the establishment of a Resident Diplomatic Mission in Suva by the Government of Solomon Islands". Fiji's High Commission to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Solomon Islands.
Nelson Ne'e was a Solomon Islands politician.
Charles Dausabea was a Solomon Islands politician.
India–Solomon Islands relations refers to the international relations between India and Solomon Islands. Neither country has a resident ambassador. The High Commission of India in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea is concurrently accredited to the Solomon Islands
Prostitution in the Solomon Islands is legal but related activities such as soliciting and brothel keeping are prohibited. Prostitution occurs mainly in the capital, Honiara, and around logging camps in Makira, Malaita and Isabel islands. Many of the women involved have turned to prostitution due to poverty, some starting at the age of 13. The laws are rarely enforced.
The Solomon Islands and China (PRC) established official diplomatic relations in 2019. Prior to this, the Solomon Islands had diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The following lists events that happened during 2020 in the Solomon Islands.
The following lists events that happened during 2020 in the Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Islands no longer has official diplomatic ties with Taiwan (ROC) due to the One-China policy since 2020.
The 2021 Solomon Islands unrest was a series of demonstrations and violent riots in Solomon Islands from 24 to 27 November 2021.
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