 Professor Michael, Professor Mike Calvill, Professor James Bartley, a friend of Saltin Islands, distinguished guests, friends of Saltin Islands, all get a one talks, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, I have a cold, but you can blame it on the kiwis. I bring greetings to you from the people and government of Saltin Islands, and I'm greatly honoured to be back here at A&E. I thank my friend, long time friend, James Bartley, for convening this August gathering. I have been invited to share some thoughts on Saltin Islands relations with Australia, in particular the question as to where to from here. And I thank you all for gracing this event with your presence. Before I continue on, let me first pay tribute to and acknowledge the Ngunnawal tribe past and present, the custodians of the land on which this gathering is held, and I thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, some of you may wonder how Saltin Islands got its name. It was named by the first European explorer that came to the islands in 1568, a Spanish by the name of Alvarado de Mendana. I guess this is why we have all the islands named in Spanish names. During his first expedition, he discovered some gold nuggets in one of the ridges. I guess he must have thought this is the second King Solomon's mines, and named the country Saltin Islands. Unfortunately for Saltin Islands, he may have seen the last gold nugget during his trip. All of you would know the country's capital city is Honiara located on the island of Guar Canal, famously known as the island where the tide of the Second World War was turned. Saltin Islands has the second largest land area behind PNG and the third largest population after PNG and Fiji. We speak more than 100 languages and dialects, which also pose the challenges to effective communication and development. You would already know that Saltin Islands is one of Australia's closest neighbours. We are connected geographically through a shared maritime border. Saltin Islands and Australia also share cultural, social, educational, economic and political links and relationships. Saltin Islands enjoy cultural and ethnic links with fellow Australian indigenous Melanesian of tourist trades. We are also connected by blood and Christian faith to the Australian South Sea islanders who came and worked in the sugar cane plantations in Queensland back in the 1800s. In fact, I had the privilege to have fellowship with some Australian South Sea islanders up in Bundaberg just a day before yesterday, and I paid a visit to the cemetery of some of the early Saltin Island descendants, which Australia is now their home. In this regard, and upon reflection, it makes me proud that Saltin Islands has had, in fact, contributed in a small way to Australia's development. This contribution continues today through their descendants. Australia is one of Saltin Islands' major partners for many decades, starting prior to the country's political independence through to today. The Australian concept, a major, giving people a fair go is reflected in my country's concept of the one-talk spirit, characterized by a common identity of caring, sharing and working with each other. Australia's investments in my country over the past decades has been sizable. In fact, Australia's single largest development is the single largest development partner and donor in Saltin Islands. The total quantum of Australia's investment to Saltin Islands, like many Pacific countries, goes beyond the bilateral relations. It includes Australia's investment channeled through multilateral arrangements, such as through international financial institutions, and through other global mechanisms and arrangements. Australia also supports specific regional mechanisms such as a core funding and project funding channeled through regional intergovernmental organizations such as the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Australia's investment in Saltin Islands over the years had been substantial and I acknowledge that with all sincerity. On its part, my country has made some small but serious investments to grow our relationships with Australia. Here in Canberra we have constructed a high commission located at various points throughout the high commissions, two terms representing the cultural identities from all nine of our provinces. We accept the hand of friendship extended by our hosts through the offer of the land upon which Saltin Islands High Commission is built. Ladies and gentlemen, my country and people, perhaps more than anyone in the Pacific, understood and appreciates the benefits of regional cooperation. For Saltin Islanders, regional cooperation goes beyond the abstract. For us, regional cooperation is real. We are where we are today because of regional cooperation spearheaded by Australia that saved us from ourselves. I believe Saltin Islands and Australia are much closer today in part as a result of the Australia-led regional assistance mission to Saltin Islands that was launched in your beautiful country as Operation Health and Friend and more commonly known during its period in Saltin Islands as Ramsey, the regional assistance mission to Saltin Islands. I acknowledge that many of you in this gathering would have been involved in one way or the other with Ramsey, some in more limited roles than others. Like my good friend, Professor James Badley, being involved in playing a major role in Ramsey. Ramsey was a regional response to my country's call for help, led by Australia and strongly supported by New Zealand and 12 other Pacific Island countries. Ramsey's mission objective was to re-establish the rule of law, stabilize the economy and strengthen our state institutions. I am both humbled and proud to say that when Ramsey completed its mission in June last year, all three mission objectives have been achieved. Over the 14 years of Ramsey's lifespan, the cost came to some Australian dollars 3 billion. Over this period, some 8,000 Australians served in the mission. These Australians and their families are now one-tocks and friends of Saltin Islands in Australia. This has resulted in another success story the relationship established through a regional cooperation assistance has now resulted in a strengthened profile of Saltin Islands here in Australia and a stronger bilateral relations between our peoples. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the fact that a number of Ramsey officials made the ultimate sacrifice. They will not be forgotten. As a result of the training provided under Ramsey, Saltin Islands police officers are among the best trained in the Pacific. Saltin Islands is now sharing these skills through our participation in the United Nations mission. As well as that, our police force personnel are also providing training assistance to some of our regional police officers. Acknowledging the assistance provided by the region to Saltin Islands, we awarded the Cross of Saltin Islands to eight Australians who were charged with the responsibility of being Ramsey coordinators over its 14 years of service, including the convener of this session, Professor James Bartley, who was one of our Ramsey coordinators. To the people and government of Australia who made Ramsey possible and helped my country back on its feet in what was one of our darkest hours, we owe you a debt of gratitude, not only providing much of the resources that supported Ramsey, but for also doing some of the heavy lifting, working in partnership with New Zealand and the rest of the Pacific Island brothers and sister states. I thank you all sincerely on behalf of the people and the government of Saltin Islands. Australia is Saltin Islands' security partner of choice. Saltin Islands and Australia signed the Australia-Saltin Islands Security Agreement last year, highlighting a new dawn, the two countries' security cooperation. Australia's support to maritime boundary surveillance through the construction and supply of modern patrol boats addresses huge gaps in capacity that my country faces. We anticipate receiving two new patrol boats early next year and are in continuing discussions in relation to other gaps in our security parameters. Saltin Islands is also watching with interest the proposed Australia-Pacific Security Colleges with the view to seeking more clarity on what it is, its purpose and mode of country engagement. Ladies and gentlemen, Australia had and continues to make huge investments in Saltin Islands. It provided substantial financing support to many key government sectors and institutions including huge investments in health and education. Australia also targets its assistance to infrastructure areas that can unlock economic opportunities, for instance. During this visit, I will be witnessing the signing of a landing agreement for a new submarine cable link between Saltin Islands and Sydney that is jointly funded by the governments of Australia and Saltin Islands. In a few weeks, I hope to be back in Australia to sign the final agreement on the submarine cable project with Australia and Papua New Guinea, who is also benefiting from this cost-sharing arrangement involving the three countries. Australia has also invested in the new Tina Hydro project. When completed, Tina Hydro will provide up to 80% of the power requirements for the national capital, Honiara. However, much still needs to be done as Honiara represents less than 20% of the total population. My government is perceiving further opportunities to shift power closer to the rural and remote populations using renewable energy to increase the country's power penetration to many provincial and rural households and reduce reliance on fossil fuel. Other areas of interest including tourism, renewable energy, minerals resources, fisheries, the development of small and medium enterprise sector including cultural industries. Saltin Islands participates in other broader regional cooperation platforms within the wider region aimed at enhancing win-win opportunities for countries involved in these cooperation and collaborations. Examples of these include the Melanesian spearhead group which comprises of more than 90% of the total population of the region. The parties to the narrow agreement, Saltin Islands is one of eight countries in this group which focuses on matters relating to the management of the tuna resources based on a vessel day scheme that recognizes the value of tuna harvested in the country's EEZs. Joint Continental Shelf claims with the United Nations Continental Commission between federated states of a state of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and Saltin Islands. And Pesa Plus with Saltin Islands has played a leading role in concluding the agreement and is now focusing on its stratification. Regional cooperation benefits countries where joint efforts result in better value and or greater efficiency of scale than doing things individually. Saltin Islands participates in regional cooperation and collaboration that lead to benefits for the country and people. Pacific Island countries are classified by the United Nations as small islands developing states. Forum leaders advocate we are large ocean states that occupy the world's largest ocean. To put this in context, land area of Saltin Islands is about 28,000 square kilometers. Our EEZ is about 1.4 million kilometers, a square kilometer. Kiribati, on the other hand, has a much smaller land mass, but its EEZ is one of the biggest in the world, stretching as far as Hawaii, the United States, covering more than 3.5 million square kilometers. Policing our waters from illegal fishing and poaching is difficult given the expanse of the ocean. The ongoing Australia Pacific Patrol Boat Program is another example of a successful regional cooperation program going as far back as 1984. Saltin Islands Patrol Boat to lucky gifted by Australia made global headlines by apprehending a U.S. trawler, the Jeanette Diane. Our friend and partner, the United States, imposed sanctions on Saltin Islands' tuna exports as a result. The Pacific came together upholding the sovereignty and respect for Pacific Islands 200 mile EEZ. The matter was resolved. Pacific countries later signed a Pacific Multilateral Fisheries Treaty with the United States. Saltin Islands will also be developing our own national oceans policy. This is important for us as a maritime nation whose economy is ocean based. The policy will cover the economic, social and environmental dimension of the ocean. Work on this policy will be undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade. Australia's support on developing this policy will be most welcomed. Ladies and gentlemen, like all other countries, Saltin Islands exists in a rapidly changing world. It relies on the actions of other nations for its long term survival. Climate change, natural disasters, epidemics have the potential to impact the country's development negatively. Lack of marketable commodity in a number of sizes affects the competitiveness of small countries such as Saltin Islands. Multilateralism is the cornerstone of Saltin Islands' international engagement. Having a rules-based international system that is open for all, recognizing the special circumstances of seeds is something we will always support. International laws, international treaties are our first and last line of defence. These are the only instruments open to us to influence bigger powers to do the right thing. Australia's continued support on several crucial issues to Saltin Islands at the global level is welcomed. Ladies and gentlemen, I have recounted the historical foundations of our relationships with Australia, as well as sharing some thoughts on some of our current relationships. I now wish to focus the last few minutes looking ahead where to from here. I do not have a crystal ball foretelling me of my country's future. Like many of you, I am both anxious and perhaps excited about some of the prospects for Saltin Islands' development ahead of us. However, experience has taught all of us that caution is an excellent friend, and mental particularly in dealing with matters in the context of a rapidly changing world. Saltin Islands will anchor our future relations with Australia on five key pillars, namely, one increased focus on trade and investment. We wish to pursue trade opportunities to supplement development assistance. In the long term, developing better trading arrangements hold the key to our sustainable development opportunities. Secondly, enhanced security arrangements. This is a mutual priority of Saltin Islands and Australia. The current arrangements and proposals are currently being discussed, will provide the platform upon which we will jointly agree future security arrangements between our two countries. Thirdly, infrastructure investment in health and education. Infrastructure investment into areas that will unlock economic development and continue focus on the development and sustenance of our human capacity through ongoing support to education and health would be priority. This will be supplemented by support to other sectors of priority to be jointly agreed between our two countries. Eradication of malaria by 2030 and reversing the trend of non-communicable diseases will be two key priorities. These two diseases currently account for eight out of every ten deaths in my country. Fourthly, enhancing labour mobility through a more strategic partnership agreement. Labour mobility is a key priority for Saltin Islands. We have already received excellent feedback from farms and companies that recruit Saltin Island workers. We wish to place a strategic partnership framework between our two countries that addresses unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers arrangements. Fifthly, strengthening the tourism sector. Tourism is a key part of our solution to development. We will pursue opportunities with the Australian government in this sector. I see Saltin Islands relationship with Australia in the coming decades as one that will go from strength to strength. A relationship that is based on mutual respect and trust and one in which both Australia and New Zealand will benefit. The Australian people through their government had supported my country at its time of greatest need and has continued to invest in strategic areas that will help the country unlock some of its own development potentials so that it can start to focus on a journey of sustained development. With regards to national security, Saltin Islands defines security broadly from a sustainable development context to cover non-traditional security issues such as food, water, energy, health security and biosecurity, security relating to natural disasters and climate events and the more overt security of national jurisdictions. Saltin Islands welcome Australia's commitment to expanding the Pacific labour mobility. Saltin Islands would like to take a more strategic and long-term approach on the labour mobility agenda. I have been discussing the concept of developing a strategic partnership framework for enhancing labour mobility opportunities between Saltin Islands and Australia within an overarching framework of the Australia Pacific labour mobility initiative. Such a framework would involve establishing a database of worker employment opportunities in farms and other employers particularly in rural Australia. On the Australian side, this will comprise, among other things, a list of all workers needed by older farms with the prerequisite skills levels. Approximately 18,000 young Saltin Islanders join the labour market every year. Between 7,000 to 8,000 of these are graduates from our rural training centres, nursing schools, the Saltin Islands National University and they could participate in labour mobility schemes through the seasonal workers program and similar programs for the semi-skilled and skilled workers from Saltin Islands. Tourism has tremendous potential in Saltin Islands. We will explore an expansion strategy for cruise tourism with Carnival Australia. It is my intention that within five years, Saltin Islands will be where Vanuatu is today with up to six cruise tourist ships to various parts of Vanuatu per week while pushing the labour mobility agenda and cruise tourism we will simultaneously undertake a comprehensive approach to increasing the numbers of visitors to the country under the normal, longer-stay tourism. We will step up our capacity to strengthen surveillance of our territorial waters. We share common maritime borders with Australia, New Caledonia, PNG, Fiji and Vanuatu. Having a stronger fully equipped enforcement presence along our borders is a direction we are taking. The submarine cable and the Tina Hydro projects which I have already spoken about are set to unlock many social and economic development opportunities in Saltin Islands. Both projects which Australia has invested in are anticipated to be operational within the next couple of years. Saltin Islands will discuss closer cooperation on visa arrangements with Australia. Movement of people between our two countries is increasing. Saltin Islands has visa-free arrangements with some other countries including with the European Union for visa tourist visas. Having a similar arrangement with Australia and New Zealand can be a game changer for Saltin Islands. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to conclude by ending where I began by reaffirming that Saltin Islands is proud of its relations with Australia. Australia is partner of choice and a very important friend to Saltin Islands. We expect the good relations between the two countries to go from strength to strength in the coming years. I thank you all.