Vanuatu PM targets renewed cooperation with NZ

It has been five years since Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai visited New Zealand and he says it’s time to strengthen both countries’ long-standing relationship.

Salwai arrived in Wellington on Monday and met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for talks on labour mobility, climate change, advancing Pacific regionalism, and other areas of mutual interest.

He was also set to meet with Foreign Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters and connect with ni-Vanuatu Recognised Seasonal Employer or RSE Scheme workers, as well as hold a range of meetings in Auckland.

Vanuatu is the largest supplier of labour to Australia and New Zealand with more than 16,500 (35 per cent) seasonal workers.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets his Vanuatu counterpart Charlot Salwai in Wellington. Photo/RNZ

Addressing journalists in Tāmaki Makaurau on Wednesday, Salwai shared his outlook on some of the key issues affecting Vanuatu and the broader Pacific region.

“It was good to come back again to renew [the relationship] and to look at the issues, common issues, both between Vanuatu and New Zealand, at how we can cooperate together on international issues, regional issues, especially for the Pacific because we have a lot together with New Zealand.”

Disaster management and environmental concerns including the climate change crisis were among the issues he outlined.

He said Vanuatu took a strong stance against deep sea mining in the region, stressing the importance of exploring this space and understanding the social and environmental impacts.

“While we know that we are vulnerable to disaster, we are sitting on the ring of fire because it's under the sea. It can be a risk for the environment, and for life as well.

“But as a country, we need to know what is under our water, and inside the water, and inside the land, and under the land. We also need to know what are the opportunities in the airspace, because we don't get what we're supposed to get in our airspace.

“That's why we're still negotiating with our neighbors to fix our maritime boundary. We managed to do it with the Solomon Islands, but we have yet to fix our border with New Caledonia and Fiji.”

Salwai also stressed the ongoing impacts of the twin cyclones Judy and Kevin that devastated his country in March last year.

“It's a lot of damage. We cannot fix it. I'm thankful to the New Zealand government and the people of New Zealand, also Australia and France…for their intervention early after the cycle, but also in the face of reconstruction.

“But the programme targets public institutions, schools, and health centres, but not individual homes, or households.

“They are still facing problems living under the top line. That's supposed to be short term, but now it's becoming a lifetime. So it is one of the areas that we want to work more on.

PMN Political Reporter Ala Vailala speaks with New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters in Port Vila during his Pacific tour in May.

He said it was important to have enhanced infrastructure, particularly roofing materials to aid water collection and resilience during extreme weather events.

On New Caledonia, Salwai called for a thorough understanding of the political unrest in the French territory before regional governments made any decisions.

It has been almost three months since violent protests broke out in the capital Nouméa after an amendment to the French constitution that would allow voter eligibility in New Caledonia's local elections. The pro-independence groups said the policy would marginalise the Indigenous Kanaks.

Ten people were killed, with hundreds injured, and damage to buildings and businesses (over 800 were looted and burned down by rioters) was estimated to cost millions of dollars. Senior pro-independence leaders were arrested and charged with instigating the civil unrest and are now in jail in France.

“Many of our citizens live in New Caledonia and this is the same thing. We have a lot of things in common. So we are also concerned,” Salwai said.

“We have our students as well in New Caledonia. Many of them have come back to Vanuatu… there are some consequences of what is happening in Caledonia. So we are also concerned.

“We will not interfere in the politics in New Caledonia and France, but politically and morally we support the independence of New Caledonia.“

He said New Caledonia remained a part of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

Forum leaders have written to French President Emmanuel Macron seeking to send a Forum Ministerial Committee to Noumēa to speak with all the sides involved in the ongoing crisis.

Macron has yet to respond but his special envoy to the Pacific, Vēronique Roger-Lacan arrives in Fiji on Friday for the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting. The French ambassador is expected to continue the dialogue and explain the facts surrounding New Caledonia.

Salwai left New Zealand on Thursday.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai arrives in Wellington. Photo/RNZ