The United States has announced more than $US150 million in support for Pacific island countries as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Palau.
The American package covers energy security, transport infrastructure, digital networks, law enforcement and illegal fishing. It was announced by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the Forum Partners Dialogue on September 1.
Mr Albanese is in Palau from August 31 to September 3 for his fifth leaders’ meeting and his first official visit to the country. He is accompanied by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy.
The announcements place infrastructure, energy resilience and security at the centre of renewed competition for influence in the Pacific — but the detail also shows Washington pursuing a distinctly commercial strategy, with several projects designed to create opportunities for American companies and technology providers.
