A STABLE Solomon Islands is important for a stable Pacific.
This was the statement of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in Parliament last week.
Mr Sogavare said Solomon Islands believed, security for Solomon Islands is a collective approach.
“Solomon Islands does not subscribe to the view that only a partner or partners of the same ideology is able to do that,” Prime Minister Sogavare told Parliament.
Prime Minister Sogavare said, internally, the consequences of last November riots is around $800 million, 1000 jobs were lost and many more livelihood of our people affected.
He stated, “from last November’s riots, it is obvious, current security agreement with Australia is inadequate to deal with our hard internal threats. The economic impact of the November Riots has nearly crippled Solomon Islands.”
Prime Minister Sogavare explained, the tendency to frequently having to deal with riots leave the government no option but to enter into security agreements with other bilateral partners to plug the gaps that exist in our security agreement with Australia.
He strongly maintains, the new SI-China treaty does not provide for a naval and/or military base.
The Prime Minister further added, Solomon Islands is also working on security agreements with Papua New Guinea and Fiji to address our soft and hard security threat.
