By MICHELLE AUAMOROMORO in Suva, Fiji
AUSTRALIA Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that there were no strings attached with Australia’s support for the Pacific region.
“It comes because we understand that we have a responsibility as an advanced economy in the region to provide support to our Pacific Island neighbors, and that, indeed, is in Australia’s interest very much,” he said yesterday at a press conference in Suva, Fiji, where he was with other Pacific leaders who had gathered for the 51st Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting.
Mr. Albanese said Australia respected the sovereignty of the Pacific Island countries and that it wanted to engage with them in a respectful way going forward.
“We live in a period whereby we have strategic competition in this region; that’s part of the backdrop of this conference and Australia looks forward to engaging in a positive and constructive way.”
Mr. Albanese added that there was no challenge in the region that was more important than climate change.
He said the new Australian Government was engaging with the region to increase funding and support for climate change, as well as for infrastructure and also being a part of protecting fisheries in the region.
“In addition to our considerable increase in development assistance that we will have, we want to have more cooperation and engagement between Parliamentarians in the region and the Australian Parliament to build people relations.”
Mr. Albanese said that Australian Government also wanted to expand the engagement with Pacific labor in Australia.
“Whether that be a permanent migration, a specific program for the first time aimed at the Pacific, or whether it be temporary labor as well.
“This can be an important way, in which, we not only have people-to-people relations, but we benefit both the economies of Australia and the countries of origin of people either visiting or permanently migrating to Australia.”
