SOLOMON Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele was warmly received by his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in the capital city of Canberra.
Manele’s trip marked his first visit to the neighboring nation after being selected as the 13th prime minister of Solomon Islands in May.
The newly-elected prime minister made it clear that the creation of jobs for the citizens of the Solomon Islands was the main purpose of his visit.
Manele assured that Australia remains his country’s partner of choice while Albanese pledged to help double the number of its police force in the Pacific Islands nation to 3,000.
A former foreign minister and career diplomat, Manele rose to power after former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
He would no longer extend his term, citing media abuse that affected his family.
Sogavare then endorsed Manele to replace him, with both of them under the same political party and sharing a friendly stance towards China.
Under Sogavare’s rule, the Solomon Islands ended its diplomatic ties with Taiwan and switched allegiance to China in 2019.
