Anthony Albanese has held his first phone conversation with the Solomon Islands Prime Minister amid tensions with China over security in the region.
A source told Sky News Australia political reporter Trudy McIntosh it was a “good conversation” and the Prime Minister was “looking forward to meeting in person” at the Pacific Islands Forum in July.
The island nation’s security pact with China was a key pillar of the election campaign and became a crucial focus of the new government’s first month in office as Beijing attempted to cobble up similar deals across the South Pacific. The Foreign Minister said she welcomed the “reassurances” that there would not be any “foreign military presence” in the Solomon Islands.
“I welcome the Prime Minister's assurances, which are the same assurances he's given publicly, that the government does not intend for there to be a persistent military presence or foreign military base here in Solomon Islands.”