After returning from Fiji and the Solomon Islands and signing historic agreements with Fiji and Vanuatu, Prime Minister Albanese will host Pacific leaders from Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga in Brisbane for ongoing regional security talks.
These important meetings will take place on the same day that Australia’s historic mutual defence treaty with PNG comes into force.
Prime Minister Albanese will hold bilateral meetings with each of the Leaders in Brisbane to discuss regional security, trade and economic growth opportunities.
He will then host the Leaders at the grand final of the State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium. The Albanese Labor Government is helping grow rugby league across the Pacific.
The meetings come at a time when the Government is making a range of breakthroughs in the Pacific such as:
- The Vuvale Union and Ocean of Peace Alliance with Fiji (2026) – two historic agreements to deepen integration, including a mutual defence treaty – our fourth formal Alliance.
- The Pukpuk Mutual Defence Treaty with Papua New Guinea (2025) – a historic mutual defence treaty with our nearest neighbour, Australia’s first new Alliance in more than 70 years.
- The Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu (2026) – a new treaty, initiated at Vanuatu’s request, that elevated the partnership across security, economic and development cooperation, reinforcing Pacific collective security.
- The Falepili Union with Tuvalu (2023) – a groundbreaking treaty covering climate cooperation, human mobility and shared security, the first agreement of its kind in the world.
- The Nauru-Australia Treaty (2024) – an integrated economic and security partnership supporting Nauru’s stability and resilience.
- Pacific Policing Initiative (2024) – major Pacific-led, Australia-backed regional policing initiative to strengthen collective peace and security throughout the Pacific.
- Pacific Response Group (2024) – new multinational initiative for coordinated regional defence deployments for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
- An agreed statement of intent to elevate our partnership with Tonga.
- Rebuilding Australia’s international development program, expanding Pacific labour mobility and establishing the Pacific Engagement Visa.
The Brisbane meetings will come off the back of the Prime Minister’s visit to Honiara – where Australia is advancing a new era of cooperation with the Solomon Islands.
Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
“This important series of meetings in Brisbane comes at a time where we are working closely with our Pacific family on the issues that matter to our region.
“I am very much looking forward to hosting Pacific Leaders in Brisbane and attending the State of Origin with them.
“Through one of Australia’s favourite sporting codes, we are bringing our Pacific family closer together.”