The governments of Solomon Islands and America have signed an agreement to renew the US Peace Corps programme in the Solomons.
A release from the Solomons government says Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela signed the agreement in Honiara with the visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
Ethnic tensions in the Solomons around the year 2000 led to the suspension of the Peace Corps programme that had seen over 700 Americans serve in the country over nearly three decades.
But now the Peace Corps Volunteers programme is set to resume in full.
Houenipwela said the volunteers would contribute to the Solomons’ development priorities by supporting communities, strengthening capacity in schools and health services.
Landau also held talks with the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Mathew Wale, fresh from having staved off a collapse of his government last week.
A statement from the Solomons government said Wale held fruitful bilateral talks with Landau, which focused on areas of mutual interest, including the return of the US Peace Corps programme to Solomon Islands after more than 20 years.
Wale recalled the active presence of the Peace Corps in Solomon Islands during the 1990s, where volunteers served in local communities and rural villages in education, health, and sports.
“The return of the Peace Corps will revive fond memories of that partnership and further strengthen cooperation between our two countries,” the Prime Minister said.
The two leaders also discussed Solomon Islands’ economic development priorities and areas where the US can provide support.
Landau reaffirmed the US commitment to working with Solomon Islands “to advance stability, prosperity, and people-centred development in the region”.
