PRIME MINISTER:
Prime Minister we are delighted to welcome you and Madame Sogavare to Australia, and of course your ministers and senior officials. Thank you so much, we enjoyed dinner at The Lodge last night.
Our strong partnership was forged 75 years ago in the Battle for Guadalcanal and we have built our partnership over the years since and in particular with the RAMSI operation.
So successful - concluded very recently as you know, and commemorated that conclusion with our Governor-General representing Australia in the Solomons.
You said to me last night that the foundation of that success was the community and partnership, and that is a tribute both to the commitment of Australian Defence, police personnel and those of other Pacific countries by the course of goodwill and the determination of the people of the Solomon Islands, and I thank you for that.
We look forward to the signing of the Bilateral Security Treaty later today, and continuing to build stronger and stronger ties between our two nations.
Welcome Prime Minister to Australia.
[ENDS]