THE United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs will be visiting the Solomon Islands from the 19th– 20th April 2023
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade confirmed that the UK Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon. James Cleverly MP will be in the country this week.
This is the first visit by any UK Foreign Secretary to the country and will be a great opportunity for Solomon Islands to further explore and deepen the Solomon Islands-UK cooperation and to seek further bilateral assistance and support from the UK for its priority areas of development.
The Solomon Islands will also be seeking further bilateral cooperation and development assistance from UK following Brexit.
The Rt Hon. James Cleverly will pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Hon. Manasseh Sogavare at the Parliament precinct.
He will then hold a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Jeremiah Manele to discuss new and ongoing partnerships that both countries have involved in.
Among ongoing UK programs and support implemented in Solomon Islands include, Partnership between SIBC and several members of the Media Association in Solomon Islands (MASI) with BBC Media Action, a non-government organization of the BBC.
There is also the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) implementing a programme to support and enhance accountable democratic governance in Solomon Islands.
A total of seven Masters Scholarships and one PhD scholarship were awarded in 2022 to Solomon Islands students to study marine science at the University of the South Pacific. There are six students from the Solomon Islands currently studying master’s degrees, with one student studying Physical Oceanography, another is studying International Law. The UK will award an additional 10 masters’ scholarships to Solomon Islands students in 2023.
The United Kingdom was one of the first countries that Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations with on the 7th of July 1978.
Solomon Islands and the United Kingdom continues to enjoy a mutually-beneficial bilateral friendship over the years.
This is a relationship based on a long historical legacy, a legacy and tradition which continues as Solomon Islands being member of the Commonwealth and a Commonwealth Realm with King George III as Head of State, with the Governor General Sir David Vunagi as His Majesty’s representative.
