WELLINGTON (Pacnews) — Australian Prime Minister John Howard has rebuffed an offer to meet with his Solomon Islands counterpart, saying the countries’ foreign ministers should first attempt to repair damaged bilateral relations.
The Solomons government has asked Australia to consider crisis talks between Howard and Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to resolve a series of disputes that have badly damaged diplomatic relations.
But Howard, in Wellington for talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, said on Thursday there are other avenues that should be explored first.
“Let us first have a meeting of the two foreign ministers,” Howard told reporters when asked if he would meet with Sogavare. Foreign ministers normally get together and smooth some of these things out.”
A spokesman for Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer earlier said the government had noted the meeting request.
“(Downer) expects to have the opportunity to meet soon with (Solomons) Foreign Minister (Patteson) Oti and expects to discuss outstanding issues with him then. We have always indicated we are prepared to discuss issues of concern to the Solomons government,” the spokesman said.
In the meantime, Canberra has urged the Solomons to let Australia’s new high commissioner in Honiara, Peter Hooton, do his job. Sogavare has twice cancelled appointments with Hooton to present his letter of introduction. He remains in limbo, unable to carry out his full duties.
“We would appreciate our high commissioner being given the opportunity to present his letter of introduction to Prime Minister Sogavare and thereby being enabled to carry out his responsibilities in the Solomon Islands,” Downer’s spokesman said.
Relations between Canberra and Honiara have been severely strained by a series of diplomatic spats since Sogavare’s election last May.
Sogavare expelled Hooton’s predecessor Patrick Cole in September last year, allegedly for meddling in domestic politics. Canberra retaliated with visa restrictions on Solomons MPs.
The Solomons prime minister has since accused Australia of being a regional bully, and of trying to exert political influence in his country.
He has also consistently pushed for reduced Australian influence in the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, which arrived in mid-2003 to restore law and order and good governance following years of ethnic unrest.