By Loretta B Manele
Solomon Islands and Australia are in talks to establish a warehousing precinct in Honiara.
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles spoke briefly about this during a press conference with the media on Saturday 18th at the Australian High Commission.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, apart from discussions on the partnership to increase Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) capability, there were also talks around establishing a warehousing precinct in the capital.
Marles said this precinct would deal not only with humanitarian materials for humanitarian disaster and relief but it would be a whole government warehousing facility catering to educational and medical materials.
He expressed that they are keen to partner with Solomon Islands on this project and will look at how they can take the next steps as two governments in terms of delivering the project.
Marles referred to the two projects as examples that the Solomon Islands and Australian relationship is in a fantastic state.
“I think both of these projects are examples of where our relationship is, just in a fantastic state and we are very grateful to the leadership of Prime Minister Manele in seeing the bilateral relationship between Australia and Solomon Islands taken to this place”
“We couldn’t be happier with where our relationship is at, the trajectory that it’s on, the closeness of our two governments, the way in which we are working as partners in delivering for the people of Solomon Islands and that’s great for the people of Solomon Islands, it’s great for the people of Australia”
Marles also spoke with Trevor Manemahaga, the minister for environment on challenges about climate change and the visceral and existential way in which climate change impacts Solomon Islands.
He said Manemahaga was at COP last year with Chris Bowman, Australia’s energy and climate change minister and the two of them have been working closely together. Marles stressed that they will continue as a partner of Solomon Islands on meeting the challenges presented by climate change and helping Solomon Islands as they are helping countries of the Pacific to tell their story to the world as countries which are on the front line of climate change.
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