AUSTRALIA’S Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy has dubbed his two-day visit to Honiara last week as fruitful.
Minister Conroy completed his visit on Thursday and continued the Pacific engagement in Papua New Guinea.
Speaking a press conference at the Solomon Islands National University Panatina Campus, Minister Conroy highlighted that his third visit to Solomon Islands was fruitful.
He met with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele and several Cabinet ministers to talk about economic and security development.
The Cabinet Ministers that the Australian minister met with with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka, Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination, Rexon Ramofafia, Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services, Jimson Tanangada, Minister for Education and Human Resource Development, Tozen Leokana, Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr Paul Bosawai, Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Trevor Hedley Mahaga, Minister for Finance and Treasury, Manasseh Sogavare and Minister for Infrastructure Development, Manasseh Maelanga.
Those meetings have been productive and really focus on the economic and security priorities of Solomon Islands Government (SIG) and its people.
“It is a real pleasure to have my third visit to Solomon Islands as a Minister of Development in the Pacific.
“I am honoured to be a representative of Australia to spend my time working with the governments in the Pacific and the government of Solomon Islands in advancing peace and prosperity in our region.
“We are proud to be the biggest number one economic and security partner of Solomon Islands,” he said.
Minister Conroy said Australia does not take these positions lightly.
“It’s a privilege and it’s our job every day to work hard to advance the interests and the prosperity of the people of Solomon Islands,” he added.
“If I can leave you with a message as we turn up, we will listen to your priorities and we will act on them and we know what your priorities are about economic and security developments.
“That is why I made a serious announcement on this brief trip, which includes the Aola Wharf, investment in your customs infrastructures that will lead to more revenue to your government to pay for more services, a new health partnership to expand services to the people of Solomon Islands, opening the solar light project for communities and here at the SINU to announce the increase of the Australia Awards Scholarship.
“That is our sign of investment for the people of Solomon Islands.
“We are proud to be the number one economy development and security partner of Solomon Islands,” he said.
By LACHLAN SHYVES EDDIE
Solomon Star, Honiara
