Today, Australia and Solomon Islands announce a new step in our bilateral relationship.
Australia will provide a package of support to grow the size and capability of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), in response to a request by Solomon Islands. Our announcement follows discussions initiated between Prime Ministers in June 2024 and reflects Australia's role as Solomon Islands' security partner of choice.
The support responds to Solomon Islands' strong desire to build an enduring sovereign security capability, thereby reducing its reliance on external partners over time. With delivery to be guided by Solomon Islands' priorities, this package will include funding, training, and infrastructure support to grow the RSIPF in a sustainable manner, including support for a new sovereign Police Training Centre in Honiara.
This partnership is an investment in Solomon Islands, which will help unlock prosperity for more Solomon Islanders and establish a new foundation for our cooperation.
Solomon Islands and Australia are family with connected futures: we share a region, an ocean and a history of partnership. Our longstanding cooperation supports Solomon Islands' security, economic growth and development priorities. We recognise that we are stronger together and reaffirm our shared vision for a transformational Australia-Solomon Islands partnership that is based on mutual trust, respect and open dialogue.
Today's announcement builds on more than four decades of security cooperation between Solomon Islands and Australia, spanning policing, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, defence, border and cyber security. This includes the Solomons International Assistance Force (SIAF, 2021-2024) and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI, 2003-2017).
As agreed jointly by the Prime Ministers in June 2024, this announcement is based on Solomon Islands' three-tier security framework, constituting a strengthened RSIPF first, support from Melanesian countries second, and from members of the Pacific Islands Forum third.
We look forward to implementing this partnership in a way that not only strengthens Solomon Islands' domestic security, but also enhances its ability to contribute to regional stability.
