By P. Daniel O’Hara
Chargé d’Affaires of the United States of America
This year, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, a milestone that invites reflection on the diplomacy that has carried our founding ideals across generations.
As President Trump has said, “With a single sheet of parchment and 56 signatures, America began the greatest political journey in human history.”
That journey has never been ours alone; it has been shaped by partners who share our belief in liberty, self-determination, the rule of law, and the right to worship our Creator freely – partners like the Solomon Islands.
As we celebrate Freedom 250, a global initiative honoring the ideals that have guided America since 1776, we have enjoyed celebrating with Solomon Islanders – watching and playing sports, celebrating shared culture and business opportunities, and giving tours of our Founders Museum.
American diplomacy protects U.S. interests while advancing peace, security, and prosperity for our partners, and nowhere is that partnership more alive today than in Solomon Islands.
Since Prime Minister Matthew Wale took office three months ago, his government moved with energy to reinvigorate ties with the United States, and we have welcomed every step.
As Secretary Rubio said, “If you believe in the rule of law, the consent of the governed, and the progress of science and commerce, then you are a disciple of the American Revolution.”
The Government for Reform, Empowerment, Accountability, and Transformation (GREAT) embodies that spirit, and results are visible.
In May, we signed a Development Finance Corporation Investment Incentive Agreement, opening the door for American private capital to support development that brings high standards and respects local communities across the country.
Days later, a U.S. Trade and Development Agency delegation explored new infrastructure opportunities with government and private sector partners.
Not every foreign investment serves Solomon Islanders’ best interests, and our partnership helps this government protect Solomon Islands’ land, natural resources, and finances from those who would exploit them.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Threshold Program shows what steady, results-driven partnership looks like, strengthening land tenure, tourism investment, and forestry protection.
In March, MCC’s Forest Value Enhancement Project helped establish the nearly 25,000-acre Yato Conservation Area, the country’s largest protected area.
In April, the government and National Providence Fund committed to co-investing in a new hotel near Munda Airport, with MCC derisking 20 percent of the cost to spur tourism.
That same month, after Tropical Cyclone Malia made landfall, the United States provided emergency shelters, safe drinking water, sanitation services, and relief supplies to storm-affected residents of Western and Choiseul Provinces.
We have also deepened our commitment to protect sovereignty and combat networks that smuggle drugs, resources, and people.
Last week, during the visit of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane, our governments signed an agreement that strengthens Solomon Islands’ ability to patrol its own waters.
In May, the U.S. Forest Service trained 40 rangers from nine provinces to ensure foreign investors do not illegally extract Solomon Islands’ natural riches, while NOAA and the Coast Guard continue helping the Forum Fisheries Agency protect the tuna shoals that sustain both our economies.
Our defense relationship, anchored in World War II history continues to flourish. In June, we signed an agreement to enable the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to continue bringing home American servicemembers missing since the war.
USPACOM has expanded training for the RSIPF’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department, now a regional leader that recently helped Tuvalu document underwater unexploded ordnance.
Since 2011, the United States has spent nearly SBD100 million on UXO removal, and last month Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced nearly SBD 50 million in additional funding during Prime Minister Wale’s visit to Washington.
Beyond shared history and democratic values, I am encouraged by the growing ties between our people, rooted in a common faith and values.
I was honored to worship alongside so many of you this year, across many provinces and denominations, and to see how deeply faith sustains community life here, as it does at home.
Since reopening in 2023, our Embassy has tripled exchange programs for Solomon Islanders to build skills and networks, while U.S. agencies provide training and equipment supporting self-reliance, including a U.S. Geological Survey partnership installing earthquake monitoring stations to protect Pacific communities for generations.
I am glad the new government, many of whose ministers fondly recall their education by Peace Corps volunteers, has formally asked for Peace Corps teachers to return.
Secretary Rubio has said that “each generation brought America closer to the principles of its founding”— the same is true of friendships between nations.
The United States has remained a steadfast partner to the Solomon Islands and, under governments eager to build together, that partnership enters a promising chapter.
Freedom 250 is not simply a look back at 250 years of independence; it is a launchpad for the next 250, built through partnerships like this one.
Today, we reaffirm what has never wavered: our commitment to the Solomon Islands, our respect for its sovereignty and its people, and our confidence that, together, we can achieve great things ahead.
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