Navy vessels from Australia and New Zealand will be exempt from a temporary ban on foreign ships entering the ports of the Solomon Islands, the Pacific island nation’s prime minister told parliament on Monday.
Foreign military vessels responding to a request for assistance from the Solomon Islands government would also be exempt, Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said.
The Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China in April, which a leaked draft said allows the Chinese navy to replenish in Honiara, prompting concern from the United States, Australia and New Zealand about China’s growing influence.
Solomon Islands suspended visits from all foreign navies last week, citing a need to review approval processes, after a US coast guard was unable to refuel at its port.
The ban on foreign naval vessels came to the forefront last month after a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and a British naval vessel were denied port entry in Honiara. The vessels were part of a joint fishery patrol mission in the South Pacific region.
