Vanuatu and Australia reaffirm close security ties

VANUATU and Australian officials have met in Port Vila to discuss the broad-ranging cooperation between the two governments on security matters.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to maintaining close exchanges and ongoing assistance programs across regional policy, police, defence and security-related development assistance programs.

Some of the core areas of discussion were on means to lift maritime cooperation efforts given the importance of protecting Vanuatu’s fisheries, customs and quarantine interests.

The importance of ongoing police-police cooperation was underscored by the recent seizure of 300kg of cocaine in Australia with excellent assistance provided by Vanuatu Law Enforcement Agencies and ongoing Australian assistance on pathology and post-mortem work in violent crime cases.

Immigration cooperation was a particular theme with both governments making new efforts to improve border management and build the capacity of the Vanuatu’s immigration service.  Significant progress was noted on AusAID-funded police capacity –building, with training courses run on a variety of themes – such as investigations, domestic violence, human rights – and work advanced on new infrastructure including 10 new police posts across remote parts of Vanuatu.

As a reflection of the close security ties, delegation members later travelled to Torba to witness the opening of a new VPF police post in Sola which provides the community with improved police premises to help them in their work.

This is the third new police post to be opened under the Vanuatu Australia Police project (VAPP). 

The RVS Turoroa was also in harbour at Sola as part of a northern sweep to assist with policing and law enforcement duties.  The RVS Turoroa was donated to the VPF last year by Australia.

Two Royal Australian Navy vessels – HMAS Mermaid and HMAS Paluma – are due to dock in Port Vila shortly to undertake some hydrographic surveying work requested by the Vanuatu government.  This will check certain parts of the harbour seafloor – ongoing, accurate mapping of these areas is vital for maritime safety.

Vanuatu Director-General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, George Bogiri, Australian High Commissioner, Jeff Roach, and Vanuatu Police Commissioner, Joshua Bong, concluded the meeting agreeing that “the talks provided a good opportunity to review security-related aspects of the relationship between Vanuatu and Australia, and ensure that planned activities for 2012 met the shared needs of both countries.”