Building and sustaining relationships was the underlying theme of the opening ceremony of the Pacific Partnership 2015 mission in Solomon Islands.
In his speech, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare emphasized the longstanding relationship the two countries have shared saying that the relationship between the two countries “goes back since the second world war.”
U.S. Ambassador to Solomon Islands Walter North spoke about the shared issues both nations face, such as “adapting to the impacts of climate change, combating deforestation and rural poverty, and spurring economic development.”
Pacific Partnership’s stop in the Solomon Islands allows for further collaboration on disaster response preparedness.
North added:
Besides providing medical and humanitarian assistance, Pacific Partnership’s overarching goal is to improve the interoperability of the region’s military forces, governments, and humanitarian organizations during disaster relief operations.
The Military Sealift Command’s joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) arrived July 10 in the Solomon Islands as part of the PP15 mission.
Millinocket and embarked Task Force Forager, led by an expeditionary command element from the Navy’s 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR) from Port Hueneme, California, are currently serving as the secondary platform for Pacific Partnership 2015. The primary platform for the mission is the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).
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Image: US Navy