By EDDIE OSIFELO
SOLOMON Islands will need to sign a security agreement with United States of America to allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to train local police officers this year.
Royal Solomon Islands Police Force confirmed this in an email to Island Sun yesterday.
“At this stage there is no bilateral bilateral agreement,” police said.
“When formalities are done then a security agreement will be signed between the two countries,” it added.
“At this stage not yet.”
The FBI is a top security and intelligence service in the US that also deals with counter-terrorism, counterintelligence and investigate federal crimes.
The announcement was part of the 11-point declaration signed by the United States and Pacific Island nations during their two days summit in Washington last Thursday.
According to Reuters, US agreed to provide US$2.8 million to step up FBI training with Pacific islands, including in 2022 with the Solomon Islands.
It also states United States would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the islands, on top of over $1.5 billion provided in the past decade.
It includes a previously announced 10-year $600 million aid request to Congress to build climate resilience and maritime security for the island states.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare agreed not to sign the declaration prior to the Washington summit, confirms in a leaked memo from Solomon Islands Embassy in New York.
However, it turned out Sogavare joined the rest of the Pacific Island countries to sign the declaration and stood shoulder to shoulder with President Biden after the signing.
Currently, the RSIPF officers are trained by the Australia Federal Police and Chinese police, who were dispatched to the country after the signing of the security agreement between PRC and Solomon Islands Government in April this year.
The Chinese police officers also trained the employees of the Chinese businesses and youths at Tulagi, Central Islands province.
Furthermore, the US will open its new Embassy in Honiara and return the peace corps to engage in the communities.