A USTRALIA ’ S I NTERNATIONAL R ELATIONS S OLOMON ISLANDS & F IJI M EMPHIS F AITH C ALZONI & R OSE S TEELE

O CEANIA

F IJI & S OLOMON I SLANDS C ONSISTS OF 322 ISLANDS AND 522 SMALLER ISLETS I SLAND V ITI L EVU HOSTS THE CAPITAL CITY OF S UVA A PPROX 4,711 KM FROM A USTRALIA P OPULATION OF 850,000 C ONSISTS OF APPROX 1000 ISLANDS C APITAL C ITY : H ONIARA A PPROX 2,000 KM FROM A USTRALIA P OPULATION OF

F IJIAN P OLITICAL H ISTORY F IJI GAINED INDEPENDENCE IN 1970 AND FORMED A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY. T HIS INCLUDED A BICAMERAL PARLIAMENT INCLUDING A NOMINATED S ENATE AND AN ELECTED H OUSE OF R EPRESENTATIVES. T HE MODEL ALSO INCLUDED A CABINET OF M INISTERS AND A P RIME M INISTER. A LONGSIDE THIS, AFFAIRS OF INDIGENOUS F IJIANS WERE HELD UNDER ACCOUNT BY THE B OSE L EVU V AKATURGA (G REAT C OUNCIL OF C HIEFS ). T HIS COUNCIL APPOINTED A P RESIDENT, WHICH IS EMBODIED IN THE 1997 CONSTITUTION. S INCE GAINING INDEPENDENCE IN 1970, F IJI HAS EXPERIENCED FOUR MILITARY COUPS, TWO IN 1987, ONE IN 2000 AND THE MOST RECENT BEING THE UNCONSTITUTIONALLY APPOINTED INTERIM MILITARY GOVERNMENT, GAINING POWER IN LATE P RESIDENT R ATU J OSEFA I LOILO P RIME M INISTER OF F IJI “F RANK ” B AINIMARAMA E NJOYING A SPOT OF TENNIS

S OLOMON I SLANDS P OLITICAL H ISTORY T HE S OLOMON I SLANDS HAVE A SIMILAR SYSTEM TO A USTRALIA, PART OF THE COMMONWEALTH SELF INTERNAL GOVERNMENT WITH A HEAD OF STATE BEING THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE QUEEN (S IR F RANK O FAGIORO K ABUI ) AND HAVE HAD SUCH A GOVERNMENT SINCE 1976 T HE S OLOMON I SLANDS, HOWEVER, HAVE A UNI - CAMERAL SYSTEM WITH ONLY ONE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, CONTAINING JUST 50 MEMBERS. T HE PM HAS A FOUR TERM REIGN AND IS ELECTED WITH A SIMPLE MAJORITY BY THE M EMBERS OF P ARLIAMENT. A S A PART OF THE B I - LATERAL AGREEMENT, IN 1899, B RITAIN GAVE A PROTECTORATE TO THE MAIN 9 ISLANDS. D URING WWII, HOWEVER, THE S OLOMON I SLANDS ENDURED SOME OF THE BLOODIEST BATTLES ON LAND, SEA AND IN THE AIR. P RIME M INISTER D EREK S IKUA

B ILATERAL T RADE R ELATIONSHIP P RESIDENT R ATU J OSEFA I LOILO F IJI & A US T HE A GREEMENT BETWEEN THE G OVERNMENT OF A USTRALIA AND THE G OVERNMENT OF F IJI ON TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS [AFTERA] P RIME M INISTER J ULIA G ILLARD

A.F.T.E.R.A DESIRING TO FURTHER PROMOTE AND EXPAND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THEIR TWO COUNTRIES, HAVING REGARD TO THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, INCLUDING THEIR MUTUAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS AS MEMBERS OF THE W ORLD T RADE O RGANIZATION, MINDFUL OF THE DIFFERING STAGES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN A USTRALIA AND F IJI

…B ENEFITS OF THE A GREEMENT A USTRALIA IS THE LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR IN F IJI. T HE TRADE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS ARE WORTH NEARLY $1.6 BILLION ANNUALLY AND A USTRALIA ’ S SHARE IN F IJI ’ S IMPORT MARKET IS APPROXIMATELY 22.8 PERCENT. M AJOR EXPORTS TO F IJI FROM A USTRALIA IN 2008 WERE WHEAT, LIQUEFIED PROPANE AND BUTANE, MAN - MADE FABRICS AND WOVEN COTTON. F IJI ’ S MAJOR EXPORTS INCLUDED CLOTHING, GOLD, CEREAL PREPARATION AND VEGETABLES.

S.P.A.R.T.E.C.A – TFC A GREEMENT S OUTH P ACIFIC R EGIONAL T RADE AND E CONOMIC C O - OPERATION A GREEMENT (B ETWEEN A US AND NZ AND F ORUM I SLAND C OUNTRIES ) T HE C OOK I SLANDS, F IJI, K IRIBATI, N AURU, N IUE, P APUA N EW G UINEA, S OLOMON I SLANDS, T ONGA, T UVALU AND W ESTERN S AMOA. A LL ARE MEMBERS OF THE S OUTH P ACIFIC F ORUM D UTY FREE AND UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO A US AND NZ MARKETS FOR AS WIDER RANGE OF PRODUCTS AS POSSIBLE I N F IJI, TFC EMPLOYS 4000 PEOPLE, MANY WOMEN. 1987, A US G OVT ’ S REMOVAL OF TFC QUOTAS HAS BEEN ACCREDITED AS A LARGE INFLUENCING FACTOR IN THE TFC INDUSTRIES GROWTH IN F IJI E XTENSION OF S-TFC AGREEMENT FROM 31 D ECEMBER 2004 TO 31 D ECEMBER 2011 HAS FURTHER ENCOURAGED THIS

M ULTILATERAL R ELATIONSHIPS … S OLOMON I SLANDS & A US PM D EREK THE R EGIONAL A SSISTANCE M ISSION TO THE S OLOMON I SLANDS [RAMSI] O UR PM…

…A IMS OF THE R ELATIONSHIP … I N 2003 S OLOMON I SLANDS REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM A USTRALIA. M UCH CONSOLATION WAS PUT INTO REACHING AN AGREEMENT, WHICH 15 NATIONS CONTRIBUTE TO (R EGIONAL A SSISTANCE M ISSION TO S OLOMON I SLANDS ). W HAT IS RAMSI? RAMSI IS A LONG - TERM COMMITMENT TO CREATE PEACE, AND AIMS TO STABILISE THE GOVERNMENT AND KEEP IT ACCOUNTABLE, EFFECTIVE AND DEMOCRATIC. A S WELL IT AIMS TO ENSURE STRONG SECURITY AND HELP WITH THEIR GROWING ECONOMY. RAMSI HAS MUTUAL OBJECTIVES AND MAINLY FOCUSES ON HELPING TO BUILD SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE INTO THE CITIZENS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THEIR COUNTRY, IMPROVED LAW AND JUSTICE SYSTEM AND WORKING TOWARDS A WELL GOVERNED SOCIETY.

B ENEFITS OF THE R ELATIONSHIP A USTRALIA BENEFITS FROM A TRADE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE S OLOMON I SLANDS. T HIS BENEFIT HAS SOMEWHAT LESSENED IN RECENT TIMES HOWEVER, DUE TO THE CRIPPLING EFFECT UPON THE S OLOMON I SLANDS ECONOMY FROM THE G LOBAL F INANCIAL C RISIS. D URING THE RECOVERY OF THEIR ECONOMY, MILITANT GROUPS DISSOLVED MANY INSTITUTIONS WHICH DELIVER GOODS AND, IN TURN, THE TRADE RELATIONSHIP HAS EXTENSIVELY SUFFERED.

R ECENT E VENTS /I SSUES : F IGI T HE A BROGATION OF 1997 F IJIAN C ONSTITUTION, P RESIDENT R ATU J OSEFA I LOILO DECLARED HIMSELF H EAD OF S TATE. A N EW L EGAL O RDER WAS IMPLEMENTED AND AS A RESULT, ALL JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS WERE REVOKED (10 TH A PRIL 2009). P RESIDENT I LOILO IMPLEMENTED A SET OF PUBLIC EMERGENCY REGULATIONS THAT LIMIT FREEDOM OF SPEECH, EXPAND POLICE POWERS AND CURB MEDIA FREEDOM IN F IJI. A USTRALIA STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE REMOVAL OF THE 1997 C ONSTITUTION AND ALSO THE REMOVAL OF THE F IJIAN ELECTED G OVERNMENT IN 2006 BY AN UNCONSTITUTIONALLY APPOINTED INTERIM MILITARY G OVERNMENT. T HE I NTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHARES THE A USTRALIAN G OVERNMENT ’ S VIEW ON THIS ISSUE. I N RESPONSE TO THE 2006 F IJIAN MILITARY COUP, A USTRALIA IMPOSED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON F IJIAN P RIME M INISTER B AINIMARAMA, HIS SUPPORTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. T RAVEL BANS WERE ALSO PLACED ON THE INTERIM G OVERNMENT, MILITARY OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND RANK AND FILE MEMBERS OF THE F IJIAN MILITARY FOCUS.

R ECENT E VENTS /I SSUES : S OLOMON I SLANDS I N 1998, FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS, CIVIL TENSIONS BROKE OUT ON THE G UADALCANAL I SLAND. T HESE TENSIONS CAME FROM INHABITANTS OF THE ISLAND, ANGRY AT THE INFLUENCE OF SETTLERS, MAINLY FORM M ALATYA, AND THEIR OCCUPATION OF THE ISLAND. T HIS CULMINATED IN VIOLENT CLASHES AGAINST THE SETTLERS WHO WERE DRAWN TO THE S OLOMON I SLANDS FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. T HE VIOLENCE INVOLVED RIVAL MILITANT GROUPS WHO GREW AND EVENTUALLY DE - ESTABLISHED THE GOVERNMENT AND UNDERMINED NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. A FTER THE ARRIVAL OF RAMSI IN 2003, THE NEST ELECTION ( HELD IN 2006) WAS OBSERVED BY 44 INTERNATIONAL SPECTATORS TO KEEP THE ELECTION CONDUCTED LAWFULLY. A FTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF S YNER R INI AS THE NEW PM, CIVIL UNREST BROKE OUT IN H ONIARA, WHICH RESULTED IN MASS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, RESIDENCIES, HOTELS AND LOOTING OF MANY A SHOP AND CAR ! RAMSI STEPPED INTO TO RESTORE CALM. T WO WEEKS LATER, P RIME M INISTER R INI RESIGNED AND WAS REPLACED ON A VOTE BY THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. J UST OVER A YEAR LATER THE NEW PM WAS BOOTED OUT BY A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE. T HE NEWEST P RIME M INISTER, D EREK S IKUA, NOW FACES A DISSOLVED PARLIAMENT WITH AN ELECTION TO BE HELP IN THE COMING MONTH !

T HE E ND.