Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale will leave for the United States this weekend on an eight-day overseas visit that will also take him to Japan before returning home on 26 July.
Wale departs on Sunday following official invitations from the United States and Japanese governments.
The visit will be Wale’s first official trip to Washington and Tokyo since becoming Prime Minister in May.
The Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet confirmed to In-depth Solomons of PM Wale’s visits.
In Washington, Wale is expected to hold several bilateral engagements with officials from the U.S Government.
He will then travel to Japan, where he is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Since taking office, Wale’s GREAT Coalition Government has repeatedly stated that it will pursue a balanced and independent foreign policy by engaging constructively with all partners while placing Solomon Islands’ national interests first.
His overseas engagements have so far focused largely on the Pacific, with official visits to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
As Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Wale has consistently advocated for greater Pacific unity, stronger regional ownership of security issues and closer cooperation among Pacific Island countries.
During last week’s PIF Troika meeting in Suva, he argued that decisions affecting Pacific countries should be shaped by Pacific nations rather than external powers.
His visit to the United States is expected to provide an opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties and outline the GREAT Coalition Government’s policy priorities with one of Solomon Islands’ long-standing development partners.
