00:00It is my absolute pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Napat and his delegation on what is his first visit to
00:07Australia as Prime Minister.
00:10Australia and Vanuatu are of course members of the Pacific family, with connections built over generations.
00:18And that close relationship has allowed us to progress and today to sign a landmark new treaty, the Nakamala Agreement.
00:27It's not lost on my government, the naming of this agreement.
00:33In Vanuatu, the Nakamala is the traditional meeting place where the community and its leaders consult and make decisions with
00:42mutual respect, trust and understanding.
00:45And this is the bedrock of the relationship between our two nations and of this agreement, mutual respect, trust and
00:56understanding.
00:57Our agreement reflects and confirms Australia's role as Vanuatu's largest and most comprehensive economic, security and development partner, a responsibility
01:09that we take seriously.
01:11Above all, it is built on an equal partnership.
01:15We have concluded a balanced agreement that will protect our collective and individual security and our sovereignty.
01:23And it will support our interest in a stable, prosperous and secure region that we both call home.
01:32Importantly, this agreement advances the consensus that security is the shared responsibility of the Pacific family, the members of the
01:42Pacific Island Forum.
01:43And it encapsulates Vanuatu's sovereign decision not to permit its territory to be used for any foreign military base or
01:52infrastructure, and that Vanuatu's critical infrastructure remains free from militarisation.
01:59Australia, Australia and Vanuatu are close neighbours, trusted partners and enduring friends.
02:08Today's meeting reaffirms our shared commitment to continue to strengthen the comprehensive partnership between our two countries.
02:18This agreement is founded on mutual respect, trust, and our common vision for peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific.
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