Australia says its navy can resume visits to Solomon Islands

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Australia said Tuesday its navy ships have been given clearance to resume visits to the Solomon Islands, which had last week announced a temporary block on all military vessels during a review of its approval processes. “Of course, we welcome the continued access of a member of the Pacific family — in this case, Australia — to Solomon Islands waters,” Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “We are regular visitors.” Asked if she was disappointed the U.S. wasn’t also given an exemption, Wong said the Solomon Islands had indicated it was making its decisions on a case-by-case basis. “What I would say is that the U.S. has a long history of presence in the Pacific, going back to World War II.” The move comes ahead of a visit to Australia by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. “We welcome the Prime Minister’s visit,” Wong told reporters, adding that she welcomed his assurance “that Australia remains the security partner of choice.” The Solomon Islands put the temporary block in place after the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry and the British navy patrol boat HMS Spey recently canceled planned port calls due to bureaucratic delays. “The delay in these approvals demonstrate the need for the government to review and refine its approval requirements and procedures for visiting military vessels to Solomon Islands,” Sogavare said in a statement.