Australia and Vanuatu sign the Nakamal agreement in Canberra; the pact bars any foreign military base, bans militarization of critical infrastructure and secures $500M AUD in Australian support.Anthony Albanese and Jotham Napat finalise the deal after prolonged talks; Vanuatu enacts a law to ban militarization, must consult Australia on third-party infrastructure and will deepen policing cooperation in the Pacific Islands Forum.Canberra presents the Nakamal accord as a response to multiple
Chinese navy port calls and Beijing-funded work at Luganville, while the
Namele Agreement with
China remains pending approval by Chinese authorities.