Australia nears landmark Solomon Islands treaty with more than A$980 million pledged, leaked text says
Australia is racing to finalise a new treaty with Solomon Islands that would lock in more than A$980 million in extra funding for the Pacific
Australia is racing to finalise a new treaty with Solomon Islands that would lock in more than A$980 million in extra funding for the Pacific nation, according to a leaked text message seen. The deal, which the two governments have been negotiating for some time, could be signed within weeks.
Deal enters final stretch
Sources said the talks have all but concluded. The in-principle agreement marks a major step in Canberra’s push to secure the pact while momentum is still there. Quietly, the pressure has been building. Fast.
The leaked message came from Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Jeffrey Roach, to the d... The extract provided does not include the full recipient or text, but it confirms the commitment at the heart of the treaty push.
Political timing matters
The move comes after Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale narrowly held onto his job this week, fending off a leadership challenge on Monday. He had been forced to return home last week, just hours after arriving in Palau for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting, when Home Affairs Minister Manasseh Maelanga moved a no-confidence motion.
Maelanga accused Wale of making major decisions without consulting cabinet. That internal fight matters because the treaty talks were already nearing the finish line, and any leadership upheaval could have complicated the signing timetable.
Why Canberra wants this signed
For Australia, the treaty would deepen a relationship that sits at the centre of Pacific diplomacy. The Solomon Islands has long held strategic importance for Canberra, and the size of the promised funding underscores how much both sides appear to have invested in getting the deal done.
The federal government is now trying to get the treaty signed in the coming weeks, before the political window shifts again. If that happens, the agreement would land as one of Australia’s biggest recent commitments to a Pacific neighbour — and a clear signal that Canberra wants the pact locked in, not left hanging.
