Australia security pact 'stigma' must be removed

7/6/2023 11:33

        Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said his government "must remove the stigma" from a security agreement with Australia and work toward having
        it ratified by parliament, local media reported on Wednesday.
        
        The Pacific Islands nation signed a security treaty covering disaster relief, defence, policing and cyber security with Australia in December, but during a visit by Australia Defence Minister Richard Marles on Tuesday, Vuanatu officials said the document was still being examined.
        
        Some Vanuatu politicians who favour ties with China, a major infrastructure lender, have expressed concern over the deal.
        
        "We must remove the stigma that the agreement is one-sided and does not reflect Vanuatu’s sovereignty," Kalsakau said in a speech, the Vanuatu Daily Post reported on Wednesday.
        
        "Thinking that some troops from Australia will enter the country without visas and access our sovereign data will not happen unless we agree and give our informed consent," he said, referring to misinformation on social media.