Honorable PM Tours Australia
Honorable Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, participated in a variety of activities throughout the nation during her tour. She gave the first Lowy Institute FDC Pacific Lecture at Old Parliament House in Canberra. The Pacific region's opportunities and difficulties could now be discussed and investigated on this platform.
At Australia's Parliament House on March 22nd, Prime Minister Fiame received a ceremonial welcome that included a military guard of honor and a 19-gun salute.
On this day, Prime Ministers Fiame and Albanese also signed the historic "O le fala folasia i lo ta Va" bilateral partnership agreement, which covers important areas of cooperation like security, economic growth, human and socio-economic development, disaster resilience, and the environment. Meetings with Cabinet members were possible for Honorable Prime Minister Fiame.
The Australian War Memorial is where Honorable Prime Minister Fiame also paid her respects and laid a wreath in honor of the fallen warriors. She got the chance to speak with Mr. Matt Anderson PSM, the director of the Australian War Memorial and a former Australian high commissioner to Samoa.
Prime Minister Fiame met with Samoan seasonal laborers at the Hansen Orchard in Tasmania. This presented an excellent chance to interact with employees, learn from their perspectives, and understand the significant contributions they made to the economies of Australia and Samoa.
In appreciation of the twinning agreement between the Tasmanian and Samoan Parliaments, she also met with the Honourable Craig Farrell MLC, the President of the Legislative Council, and the Honourable Mark Shelton MP, Speaker of the House of Assembly.
As part of the capacity-building twinning agreements between Samoa and the Tasmanian parliament, a parliamentary team from Samoa will arrive in Tasmania next week.
On March 23rd, the Prime Minister visited Yulara and Uluru as part of her trip, where she spoke with First Nations Australians and learned about initiatives to promote indigenous travel in Australia.
The Australian Government's dedication to ensuring that First Nation Australian perspectives are represented in the nation's foreign policy was demonstrated by this visit.
The Honorable Linda Burney MP, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, briefed the Prime Minister on the process Australia is going through to implement the Ulu'u Statement from the Heart, which will see a referendum held later this year on enshrining an indigenous voice to Parliament, prior to the Prime Minister's visit to the Northern Territory.
The Prime Minister's visit came to an end on March 24th in Brisbane, where she met with the Pacific Islands Business Council to learn about the relationships between Australian companies and the private sector in Samoa as well as potential future investment prospects.
Another significant turning point in Samoa and Australia's strong and enduring friendship is the visit by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa. The Australian Government is excited to maintain its strong collaboration with Samoa and work together to realize our shared aspirations for both of our countries and the larger Blue Pacific.
The Australian Government was honored to host the Prime Minister.
Honorable Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa at the popular Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Source: Australian High Commission to Samoa/Supplied