MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) The government of the Solomon Islands is unlikely to sign an 11-point declaration between the United States and the Pacific nations during the summit with the region's leaders at the White House on September 28-29, Australian broadcaster ABC reported, citing sources.
Washington and the Pacific nations have spent recent weeks negotiating a new partnership agreement, a source told the broadcaster, while several sources said that the talks over the declaration are still underway, according to the report.
The declaration should outline a framework for the US engagement in the Pacific region, which will boost Washington's diplomatic, commercial and development presence in the area as China ramps up its involvement.
The island nation, which in April had signed a framework agreement on security cooperation with China, sent a diplomatic note to the countries of the Pacific region saying that Honiara would not approve the declaration over disagreements in the government, and that the document should be reviewed in the national parliament, ABC said.
The United States and the Solomon Islands have been allies since World War II, but have been drifting apart in recent decades, with the US even closing its embassy in Honiara in 1993. In 2019, the Solomon Islands started to develop relations with China.
