Honiara will play host to Australia’s deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Myles when he lands here for his third visit tomorrow.
Myles is flying over from the Mircronesian nation of Kiribati where he had high-level talks with its re-elected government, which closed its country’s borders in 2024 while national elections were held.
His trip came following Australia’s announcement last month that it would support growing the size and capability of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.
Under that support, Australia says it would provide AUD$190 million over four years to help strengthen the police force after the Solomon Islands requested Australia’s help to double the number of officers to about 3,000.
“I look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele again in Honiara, to build on discussions about the strong and enduring partnership between our two nations,” Myles said ahead of his trip.
“Australia is a steadfast security partner for Solomon Islands and is committed to supporting their ambition to grow the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, as its security partner of choice,” he added.
Australia hasn’t linked the funding to a deal to expel Chinese police, after a similar funding pact struck with Papua New Guinea that ruled out Beijing striking a security agreement with Port Moresby.
“The Solomon Islands, of course, is a sovereign nation, they have some measures in place and we expect that to continue,” Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.
“But we also expect that as a result of this agreement, what we’ve done is make sure that Australia remains a security partner of choice,” he added.
The package includes support for more training and a new police training in Honiara.
“It’s about the capacity of the police force to provide security and what that does is reduce any need for outside support,” Albanese added.
It follows a no-confidence motion being moved and then withdrawn against Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, which delayed the announcement of policing support.
After visiting Canberra in mid-2024, Manele said he had “taken on board Australia’s concerns in some of these areas” and would report to his cabinet.
Australia sees security in the Pacific as purely the remit of regional countries and has ruled out a Chinese policing presence.
A police training hub was opened in Brisbane earlier in December 2024, and will act as a base for deployments of Pacific police when countries request help for major events or crises.
More than 200 officers have already passed through the nearby training centre since July.
It is part of the wider Pacific Policing Initiative, designed by 11 Pacific Island police chiefs and supported with AUD$400 million in Australian funding.
Besides meeting Manele, Myles will also meet other government ministers.
