United States: The United States has announced the re-opening of the country’s embassy in the Solomon Islands, 30 years after it was closed.

The US Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken stated that the embassy opened its doors in Honiara on January 27, less than a year after Washington announced the plan.

“The opening of the embassy symbolises a renewal of our relationship and underlines the strength of our commitment to our bilateral relations, the people of the Solomon Islands, and our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region,” Mr. Blinken remarked in the statement.

The US closed its embassy in Honiara in 1993 amid shifting diplomatic priorities. The country announced its intention to reopen the diplomatic mission after it emerged in April 2022 that the Solomon Islands had agreed to a secret security pact with China.

“The opening of the embassy builds on our efforts not only to place more diplomatic personnel throughout the region but also to engage further with our Pacific neighbors,” Mr. Blinken commented.

According to Mr. Blinken, more than any other part of the world, the Indo-Pacific region, including the Pacific Islands, will shape the world’s trajectory in the 21st century.

US diplomat Mr. Russell Corneau, who has been in the Solomon Islands since October 2021, will continue as the US’s diplomatic representative in the new embassy.

“The embassy opening comes at an important moment for the region we share,”  Mr. Corneau commented.

In 2022, the US convened its first-ever summit of Pacific leaders at the White House and promised to deepen ties with the Pacific Islands Forum, focusing on maritime security and “the sustainable use of the Pacific Ocean based on the rule of law.”

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