Australia and the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu have sealed a cooperation deal, with the final agreement reported to be substantially revised from a preliminary accord signed last year.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, signed the Nakamal Agreement in Canberra on Monday. The two countries first signed a security agreement in 2022, but that was never ratified; it was replaced in 2025 by the preliminary deal, with ministers from both nations initialing that text on the top of a volcano in Vanuatu.
Negotiations continued after that signing ceremony, with the talks fraught over what was seen as an attempt by Australia to limit the island¡¯s relations with China, which is also working on a bilateral deal with Vanuatu.
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