Fajarasia.co – A number of Pacific nation leaders congratulated the chairman of the Australian Labor Party Anthony Albanese on his victory in the Australian general election.
The Solomon Islands congratulated the Albanese and said “a lot needs to be done” in their bilateral relationship with Australia.
Its Pacific neighbour, Fiji, also congratulated and welcomed the Labor Party’s climate policy.
Albanese said he would be sworn in as Australia’s 31st prime minister on Monday alongside four senior party members, although votes were still being counted.
He will then attend a Quad summit in Tokyo on Tuesday with US President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Japan and India.
The signing of a defense pact by the Solomon Islands and China is a major issue in the election for Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Western allies fear the agreement could give China’s military access to the Pacific region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the Solomon Islands this week, according to media reports.
In a statement on Sunday, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said his country “remains a true friend and preferred partner of Australia in development”.
The Solomon Islands is grateful for the financial, health and security support from Australia over the years, he said.
“However, much remains to be done,” he added.
Sogavare has messaged Albanese and “convinced himself to take Solomon Islands relations with Australia to the next level during Albanese’s tenure”.
Fijian PM Frank Bainimarama congratulated Albanese in a tweet.
“Of your many promises to support the Pacific, none is more welcome than your plans to prioritize climate,” he said on Twitter.
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern said she had called Albanese on Sunday.
He said the two countries would continue to work together “to deepen our partnership with our close friends in the Pacific, and advance our interests on the world stage.”
“Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand are the best when they work together,” he said.
Aotearoa is the name for New Zealand in the Maori language.
