SOLOMON Islands Government (SIG) is keen to see the European Union (EU) restore its presence in Solomon Islands after the latter closed its office in Honiara six years ago due to a shift in the organisation’s development cooperation programme.
The Canberra-based new ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Solomon Islands, Arto Haapea told Solomon Star in an interview that both Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele and the Supervising Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Rexon Ramofafia made a strong case about SIG wanting EU to re-establish its office in Honiara in their meetings with him in Honiara last week.
The EU is an economic and political union of 27 countries. The EU is represented through its Delegations and Offices around the world.
Finland is one of the EU member states. The other 26 member states are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The EU Honiara Office was shut down in July 2018 due to a shift in EU’s development cooperation programme.
Since the closure, the EU Ambassador based in Suva, Fiji, has been accredited to Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The latter was covered by the Honiara Office.
Ambassador Haapea said he understood the significance of EU reestablishing its presence in Honiara and he promised the Prime Minister and Supervising Minister that he would convey that message to the new Ambassador of the EU to Solomon Islands.
He added that the Suva-based EU Ambassador to Solomon Islands will be in Honiara this week for credentials presentation to the Governor General and will also meet with the Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers and that will be an opportunity for the Solomon Islands Government to reiterate its wish for EU’s restored presence in Honiara.
Ambassador Haapea was in Honiara last week to present his Letters of Credence to the Governor General Reverend David Tiva Kapu.
Ambassador Haapea’s trip to Honiara last week was his first to any Pacific island state. His previous postings included New York, Shanghai, Beijing and New Delhi.
By DELI-SHARON OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara