PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese jointly announced a transformational new step in the bilateral relationship between the Solomon Islands and Australia.
In response to a request by Solomon Islands, and following discussions initiated between Prime Ministers in June 2024, Australia will provide a package of support to grow the size of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF).
The support responds to Solomon Islands’ strong desire to build an enduring sovereign security capability, reducing its reliance on external partners.
This package will include funding, training, and infrastructure support to grow the RSIPF in a sustainable manner, and will include support for a new sovereign Police Training Centre in Honiara. Solomon Islands’ priorities will guide delivery. This support will complement our long-standing Defence Cooperation Program and RSIPF-AFP Policing Partnership Program (RAPPP).
This partnership is an investment in Solomon Islands, which will help unlock prosperity for more Solomon Islanders and establish a new foundation for cooperation.
In their joint statement, the two leaders affirmed that Solomon Islands and Australia are family with connected futures, and share a region, an ocean and a history of partnership. The longstanding cooperation supports Solomon Islands’ security, economic growth and development priorities.
The announcement marks a recognition that Australia and Solomon Islands are stronger together, and reaffirms the shared vision for a transformational partnership that is based on mutual trust, respect and open dialogue.
This announcement is based on Solomon Islands’ three-tier security framework, first agreed between Prime Ministers in June 2024, constituting a strengthened RSIPF first, support from Melanesian countries second, and from members of the Pacific Islands Forum third.
Australia looks forward to implementing this partnership in a way that not only strengthens Solomon Islands’ domestic security, but also enhances its ability to contribute to regional stability.
