Australia and the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu have sealed a cooperation deal, with the final agreement reported to be substantially revised from a preliminary accord signed last year.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, signed the Nakamal Agreement in Canberra on Monday. The two countries first signed a security agreement in 2022, but that was never ratified; it was replaced in 2025 by the preliminary deal, with ministers from both nations initialing that text on the top of a volcano in Vanuatu.
Negotiations continued after that signing ceremony, with the talks fraught over what was seen as an attempt by Australia to limit the island’s relations with China, which is also working on a bilateral deal with Vanuatu.
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