Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Palestinian shot and killed by IOF east of Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Occupation forces opened machine gun fire toward outskirts of Aitaroun as locals headed for olive harvest.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone drops bomb at outskirts of town of Blida as people head for olive harvest.
Israeli media: Rafah crossing was not opened as planned, and no date has yet been set for the resumption of movement through it.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro: There will be no change in diplomatic relations with Israel until it complies with the agreements.
Maduro: We say to the people of the United States that we do not want war in the Caribbean or in South America.
Maduro: The sadists in America believe they can issue orders for the world to follow, that they rule while others must adapt. But the first to know this is false are the American people themselves.
Caracas: US maneuvers seek to legitimize regime change and seizure of Venezuelan oil resources.
Caracas: The announced US military deployment in the Caribbean region constitutes a policy of aggression and a threat against Venezuela.
Venezuela: We reject Trump's statements allowing US intelligence agencies to operate in Venezuela.

Vanuatu’s new PM plans to reassess 2022 security pact with Australia

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 13 Mar 2025 09:54
4 Min Read

Napat also called for the inclusion of a waiver-free travel agreement with Australia to facilitate easier movement between the two nations.

Listen
  • x
  • Vanuatu PM
    In this photo released by the Australian Department of Defense, Australians disembark from an aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley, Australia, after a flight home from Port Vila, Vanuatu, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, following a powerful earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. (CPL Adam Abela/Australian Department of Defense via AP)

Vanuatu’s new Prime Minister Jotham Napat has expressed his government’s intent to reconsider a security agreement with Australia, citing the need for it to better align with national priorities, particularly climate change and travel mobility, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

Napat, who assumed office in February, stated that the agreement, signed in 2022 but not yet ratified by either nation, must be revisited to ensure a “win-win” outcome. He told The Guardian that climate change, a critical security issue for Vanuatu, was "not reflected" in the current pact.

“It’s something that we would like to revisit and be able to discuss openly with the Australian government,” he said.

The security deal aims to enhance cooperation on disaster response, policing, cybersecurity, and border security. However, climate change is mentioned only once in the document, under a section on “Environment and Resource Security,” the news website noted.

Beyond climate considerations, Napat also called for the inclusion of a waiver-free travel agreement with Australia to facilitate easier movement between the two nations. He confirmed that he had already raised these concerns with Australian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and that they were receptive to revisiting the agreement.

In response, a spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Canberra welcomes Vanuatu’s interest in strengthening bilateral ties and remains attentive to its priorities.

The Guardian suggested that Australia’s pursuit of security and policing agreements with Pacific nations—including Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, and Fiji—is widely regarded as part of its broader strategy to counter China’s growing regional influence.

The report highlighted that Beijing has significantly expanded its diplomatic, economic, and security presence in the Pacific, most recently signing a comprehensive strategic partnership with the Cook Islands covering areas such as deep-sea mining, education, and transportation.

When asked about China’s involvement, Napat maintained that Vanuatu does not favor any particular development partner. “We treat Australia the same as China and the United States,” he said.

Related News

Bill Ackman donates $1M to anti-Mamdani PAC in NYC mayoral race

US heavily reliant on China for raw materials in medicines: NYT

Mihai Sora, Director of the Pacific Islands Programme at the Lowy Institute, noted that Vanuatu is in a strong position amid the ongoing geopolitical competition.

“Vanuatu has a lot of leverage right now – Australia needs these sorts of security partnerships,” he said. “It’s looking to formalise existing activities and to elevate existing agreements wherever it can in a bid to build strategic insulation from China’s encroachment.”

According to Sora, China has been employing an “opportunistic approach” to security cooperation in the Pacific, offering support to individual leaders who express interest. “China is looking to elevate its political ties and then for that to open the way for closer security cooperation across the Pacific.”

The Guardian mentioned that Vanuatu’s efforts to renegotiate its security deal with Australia coincide with the United States scaling back some of its commitments to Pacific nations, particularly in economic development and climate action.

US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement is a matter of grave concern for Vanuatu, Napat said, given the existential threat climate change poses to the island nation.

“For us, it’s about our survival,” he underscored, adding that he hoped to persuade Trump to reconsider his stance “because everybody depends on the Paris agreement.”

Napat also noted that his government had not yet received confirmation on whether US aid to Vanuatu would be reduced but expressed hope that Washington would maintain its support.

Under then-President Joe Biden, the US significantly expanded its Pacific engagement by opening new diplomatic posts, negotiating a security deal with Papua New Guinea, and pledging increased economic assistance. However, Sora suggested that many of these initiatives might not continue under a Trump administration.

“What is likely to happen based on recent developments coming out of Washington is that the US will maintain a narrow security interest in the Pacific,” Sora indicated.

“But we’re not likely to see the United States live up to its commitments on engaging with economic development and climate change.”

Read more: Pacific islands accuse Australia of 'exporting climate destruction'

  • United States
  • Vanuatu
  • US
  • Jotham Napat
  • Australia
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jaafarawi in an undated image in Gaza, occupied Palestine (Social media)

Gaza Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jafarawi killed by collaborators

  • Politics
  • 12 Oct 2025
drop site

New report details extensive Israeli arson in Gaza after ceasefire

  • Politics
  • 13 Oct 2025
Illustration of fists breaking shackles, representing the liberation of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons. (Illustrated by: AL Mayadeen English/Batoul Chamas)

4 prominent Palestinian detainees to be freed: Who are they?

  • Palestine
  • 13 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Members of the media wait for Palestinian prisoners and injured at the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Rafah crossing to reopen for travelers from Gaza: Reuters

US President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Washington (AP)
Politics

'Israel' may resume Gaza war if Hamas breaches ceasefire, Trump says

Mourners attend the funeral of slain captive Captain Daniel Peretz at Mt. Herzl military cemetery in occupied al-Quds, Wednesday, October 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam Brigades hand over all living Israeli captives

Armored vehicles drive through a street during a government-organized march in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US approves covert CIA action in Venezuela: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS