Why Solomon Islands PM had to apologise to Albanese

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with his Solomon Islands counterpart Matthew Wale on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. This marks the third time the two leaders have met in under half a year since Wale assumed office as prime minister in May. Their meeting was scheduled for the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, but Wale was unable to attend at the last minute due to a no-confidence motion in parliament, which was later withdrawn.

Albanese expressed his regret that they couldn't meet at Palau, but acknowledged Wale's delegation was there and he was able to meet with Solomon Islands ministers during the bilateral session. Albanese emphasized that a comprehensive treaty between Australia and Solomon Islands would be transformational for the broader Pacific region.

He stated their desire to be the partner of choice in the Pacific and highlighted the strong partnership between the two nations, emphasizing Australia's longstanding commitment and perseverance.

During their meeting, Wale issued a light-hearted apology to Albanese following their last in-person meeting in Honiara. Albanese was a guest at Independence Day celebrations in the Solomon Islands, where Wale gave a lengthy speech; however, his upcoming speech at the UN General Assembly would be shorter. Wale jokingly promised not to deliver another long-winded speech like Fidel Castro, who holds the record for the longest UN speech in history, speaking for 4.5 hours in 1960.