Two new Australian diplomatic missions — the Australian Embassy in Palau and the Australian High Commission in Cook Islands — have opened their doors, in a further boost to our diplomatic representation in the region under the Pacific Step-up.
These new missions are a sign of Australia's growing relationship with the people and governments of Palau and Cook Islands, and help underscore Australia's focus on deepening engagement across the region.
Our new missions will work with Palau and Cook Islands to promote economic integration and trade, build community links, and strengthen security cooperation.
Australia now has sixteen missions in the Pacific - the largest diplomatic network of any country in the region. The Government will further expand Australia's representation through missions that are set to open in Niue, French Polynesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands from next year.
Australia is committed to the prosperity, stability, resilience and security of the Pacific region.
The Pacific is our home. Through the Step-up, we are working more closely than ever with our Pacific partners to respond to our region's priorities.
We are doing this through many new measures, including partnering on economically transformative infrastructure such as the Coral Sea Cable to provide high-speed internet to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, and greater labour mobility that is welcoming more Pacific workers to Australia.
