AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett is in Solomon Islands to reaffirm the enduring partnership with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and help protect the Pacific from dangerous illicit commodities.
Commissioner Barrett will meet with policing and government counterparts, including Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale, and acting RSIPF Commissioner James Aitorea.
Commissioner Barrett's four-day visit to the Solomon Islands will include officially handing over a Tactical Training Centre to the RSIPF and providing two maritime vessels to target and disrupt criminal groups attempting to traffic illicit substances through, and to, the Pacific.
The Tactical Training Centre provides operational capability, training and professional development for the RSIPF. The facility will strengthen the RSIPF's ability to respond transnational crime.
It is a central hub for operational safety and specialist training and demonstrates the Australian Government's long-term commitment to supporting the Solomon Islands' policing priorities through practical capability development and infrastructure investment.
The two new vessels will help strengthen the RSIPF's coastal and inter-island maritime capability and help strengthen regional security.
Commissioner Barrett said the AFP worked with the RSIPF to develop a maritime solution tailored to Solomon Islands' unique operating environment.
"We know why this capability is required and needed, and part of the reason is because of the maritime illicit drug superhighway that runs through the Pacific,'' Commissioner Barrett said.
"Illicit commodities being trafficked to, and through the Pacific, is Australia's great national shame.
"And our trusted friends and partners have become the collateral damage.
"With that in mind, a great partner knows when to step up and take its share of responsibility.
"The Pacific Chiefs all have great resolve, skill and capability to target those who target us.
"This new capability will allow the RSIPF to seize illicit drugs and prove to the cartels that it is too expensive and too much of a risk to test our resolve.
"This is about how we design our own Pacific-led security and safety architecture.
"This is consistent with Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' vision of an Ocean of Peace where the Pacific family provides for its own security, as a shared responsibility.
"This vision is your legacy for future generations and proves how we can work together on tangible outcomes for a peaceful and secure region."
