The governments of Solomon Islands and America have
signed an agreement to renew the US Peace Corps programme in
the Solomons.
A release from the Solomons government
says Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela signed the agreement
in Honiara with the visiting US Deputy Secretary of State
Christopher Landau.
Ethnic tensions in the Solomons
around the year 2000 led to the suspension of the Peace
Corps programme that had seen over 700 Americans serve in
the country over nearly three decades.
But now the
Peace Corps Volunteers programme is set to resume in
full.
Houenipwela said the volunteers would contribute
to the Solomons’ development priorities by supporting
communities, strengthening capacity in schools and health
services.
Landau also held talks with the Solomon
Islands Prime Minister Mathew Wale, fresh from having staved
off a collapse of his government last week.
A
statement from the Solomons government said Wale held
fruitful bilateral talks with Landau, which focused on areas
of mutual interest, including the return of the US Peace
Corps programme to Solomon Islands after more than 20
years.
Wale recalled the active presence of the Peace
Corps in Solomon Islands during the 1990s, where volunteers
served in local communities and rural villages in education,
health, and sports.
“The return of the Peace Corps
will revive fond memories of that partnership and further
strengthen cooperation between our two countries,” the Prime
Minister said.
The two leaders also discussed Solomon
Islands’ economic development priorities and areas where the
US can provide support.
Landau reaffirmed the US
commitment to working with Solomon Islands “to advance
stability, prosperity, and people-centred development in the
region”.
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