U.S & SOLOMONS 2015 PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP OPENED IN HONIARA

The 2015 Pacific Partnership between Solomon Islands and the United States was officially opened in Honiara today.

Last week an US Military high-speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) arrived in Honiara under the  Pacific Partnership between Solomon Islands and the United States.

It aims to provide assistance on infrastructure concerns, health, education and services to our local population.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, US Ambassador to SolomonIslands, Walter North said, the program will further strengthen the relationship between Solomon Islands and the United States.

“We are especially excited that Pacific Partnership 2015 has come here. It’s a great opportunity to prepare for or we hope we don’t have to face an overwhelming disaster, but to develop relationships and the understanding of capabilities that if that does happen, that we better prepare to meet the needs. As we could all remember, especially as we get closer to the month of August, Solomon Islands and especially Guadalcanal were among the many Pacific island nations embroiled in the fighting of World War II.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said, the PacificPartnership 2015 will enable important collaboration between the two countries on issues affecting Solomon Islands.

Prime Minister Sogavare adds the program will improve on a major setback for the economic development of Solomon Islands.

“As I acknowledge with much gratitude that the Pacific Partnership 2015 will enable the important collaboration between our two countries on disaster response preparedness. It has been the experience of Solomon Islands, like many countries in this region that a natural disaster has the potential to incur major setbacks to our efforts for economic development.”

The Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region.