Monday 29th June, 2026 – | Canberra, Australia – Prime Minister Jotham Napat, signed the Nakamal Agreement with Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. Anthony Albanese, marking a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries.

 

The Agreement will guide Vanuatu-Australia cooperation for the next 10 years and is set to elevate the partnership to a new level, grounded in mutual respect, shared values, and the spirit of the nakamal.

 

The Nakamal Agreement provides a broad framework of cooperation across priority areas including:

· Climate change

· Mobility

· Infrastructure development

· Security and regional stability

· Economic growth and stability, and more.

 

Vanuatu is poised to benefit significantly from the Agreement, with new pathways for investment, technical cooperation, and strengthened support for our national development priorities.

Vanuatu took time to ensure proper domestic consultation before signing. The process included extensive consultations and engagement since early 2025 with technical officials from both governments at various ministerial levels, and with coalition party leadership, resulting in the initialling of the original agreement atop Mt Yasur on Tanna in August last year.

 

Following these, further negotiations ensued until the Agreement received formal endorsement by the Council of Ministers in May 2026. Just prior to traveling to Canberra, the Prime Minister convened a final meeting with coalition party presidents to ensure the leadership of Government was fully engaged and that the Agreement carried the support of the nation’s political leadership.

 

“The beauty of the Nakamal Agreement is that it is built to last and built to work,” Prime Minister Napat said.

“It has clear clauses for implementation through a Joint Committee, to ensure we are delivering in the true spirit of the nakamal – sitting together, talking together, and deciding together for the good of our peoples.”

 

The Nakamal Agreement commits both governments to work together across agreed priority areas, while allowing flexibility to adapt as our needs evolve.

The signing took place during Prime Minister Napat’s official visit to Canberra for bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Albanese. He was joined by Minister for Foreign Affairs Marc Ati and Minister for Trade Samson Samsen. The delegation returned to Vanuatu on Tuesday 30th June 2026.