VANUATU will formally sign two major cooperation agreements with Australia and China following months of renegotiation over clauses Port Vila deemed potentially intrusive to its national sovereignty.
Prime Minister Jotham Napat confirmed in Parliament that Vanuatu would sign the Nakamal Agreement with Australia and the Namele Agreement with China in separate strategic frameworks.
However, Napat stressed that the Nakamal deal was delayed because early drafts contained what the government considered unacceptable language.
“In the first draft, Australia stated that for any critical infrastructure, we are to ask for advice or seek approval from them,” Napat told Parliament.
“It’s words like these that we are not satisfied with.”
He said the Council of Ministers refused to “sign anything that undermines our sovereignty,” leading to repeated revisions reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General. Two specific areas of concern were security and critical infrastructure.
The finalised Nakamal Agreement reportedly includes provisions allowing Vanuatu to withdraw or renegotiate terms. Napat emphasised the document is not a security pact, though it contains a clause related to security. He noted that existing national laws already govern foreign military involvement.
The Namele Agreement with China is described as a separate development-focused strategic cooperation, also unrelated to security pacts.
“We are friends to all and enemies to none,” Napat said.
“We do not want to favour one party over the other.”
Australia has stated its engagement is a “respectful partnership with Pacific sovereign decision-making,” while Beijing describes its Pacific ties as based on mutual respect and non-interference.
Source: PINA
