Prohibition of shots on foreign military ships anchored in the Solomon Islands applies to “all countries in the world”, a spokesman for Prime Minister of Pacific Pacific told AFP Wednesday. Prime Minister Manasseh Sugavare revealed the ban on Tuesday after the news of the United States coast guard was not permitted to refuel at the country’s port. A Prime Minister spokesman told AFP that the moratorium “included all countries in the world”.
“There is no preference for certain countries,” he said. The spokesman added “There is no certain time frame” for the review of the naval approval process which was also announced on Tuesday. The moratorium will be closely monitored in the region, given the closeness of the Solomon Islands with Beijing. The two countries signed a controversial security pact in April.
The navy prohibition came a week after the Sugavare office threatened to prohibit or deport Western journalists because of the scope of “impolite and demeaning” and said some foreign media tried to “engineer the change of regime”. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles will not be withdrawn to the moratorium during media interviews on Wednesday, saying that it is “a problem for the Solomon Islands”.