The Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands has requested assistance from his Australian counterpart to expand the Solomon Islands' police force by adding over a thousand officers.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele visited Australia's capital of Canberra this week to hold bilateral talks. The Solomons are located 750 miles east of Australia.
The Solomon Islands has struggled with periods of unrest in recent years.
Australia sent defense personnel and police to the Pacific Island nation’s capital of Honiara to restore order following riots in 2021.
Manele’s predecessor switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing when he was in power.
He also signed a secret security pact with China and brought in Chinese police teams to help with training.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a joint press conference that Manele wanted to double the size of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force from 1,500 to 3,000 over the next decade.
Manele also said that he wanted to focus on building his country's private sector and boosting exports, including forestry, fisheries, tourism and mining.
The Solomon Islands prime minister will next head to China for a lengthy visit. He'll then travel to Tokyo for a meeting of Pacific Island nations with Japan's prime minister and other top officials.
