Gabriele Visentin, the EU’s special envoy to the Indo-Pacific, said that the Solomon Islands had “sent to us” a “loud and clear signal” with the signing of the security cooperation agreement with Beijing, which was ratified last month. He reckoned that the signal was the need to do more in the region.
“It’s not directed against a country or another – it’s a way of enhancing our capacity and our credibility in terms of defending our interests”, he said.
He underlined that the EU would seek to conduct military training, exercises on land and at sea, and boost intelligence. Further, he also backed the idea of having more EU vessels pass through the region, apparently akin to the contentious FONOPs (Freedom of Navigation Operations) frequently undertaken by US forces.
More Involvement in Pacific a ‘Challenge’ for EU, Says Envoy to Solomon Islands
“It is a challenge for the future, and this security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands must be considered in the development of the European Union action on security and defence in the region”, Seam remarked.