Pacific Partnerships for Development and Security Partnerships signed at Pacific Islands Forum
Media release
4 August 2010
Today at the Pacific Islands Forum in Port Vila, Vanuatu, I signed Pacific Partnerships for Development with President Mori of the Federated States of Micronesia, President Toribiong of the Republic of Palau, and Foreign Minister Silk of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
I also signed Pacific Security Partnerships with President Tong of the Republic of Kiribati and Prime Minister Tuilaepa of Samoa.
The Pacific Partnerships for Development increase the beneficial impact of Australian development assistance and commit Australia and Pacific partners to:
- make progress towards achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals, and
- target Australian development assistance to support priority areas such as access to clean water and improving education through better trained teachers.
Under the Partnerships for Development, Australia agrees to provide increased development assistance and in return, Pacific partners commit to improving governance, enhancing private sector development, increasing investment in economic infrastructure and achieving better outcomes in health and education.
Pacific Partnerships for Development have previously been signed with Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The Pacific Security Partnerships will enhance security cooperation between Australia and Kiribati and Australia and Samoa by providing a framework for the coordination of security activities and for consultation on future security cooperation.
The Partnerships will also enable Kiribati and Samoa to identify key issues in the security relationships, such as Fisheries Protection and Transnational Crime, and develop activities to support these.
Media inquiries
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