Australia signs security treaty to protect Tuvalu in case of invasion

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano announced a bilateral security and migration pact on the sidelines of a Pacific leaders' meeting in the Cook Islands on November 10, Reuters reported.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano in the Cook Islands on November 9.

Under the treaty, Australia will provide security guarantees to Tuvalu against military aggression, natural disasters and pandemics, and will have a say in the island nation's security arrangements with other countries. Prime Minister Albanese said it was Australia's most important agreement with a Pacific island nation, ensuring Australia "will be there at Tuvalu's request for military support".

The pact also commits the two countries to “mutually agree on any cooperation, plans or engagement with any state or entity on matters relating to security and defence in Tuvalu”. This includes plans in Tuvalu’s defence, police, ports, telecommunications, energy and cyber security sectors, an Australian official said.

Another content committed by the two countries is that Tuvaluan citizens will be able to live, study and work in Australia, have access to education, health care and income, and support their families.

Australia will allow 280 people from Tuvalu to migrate each year to boost remittances to the island nation of 11,000 people that is increasingly affected by climate change and rising sea levels.

Funafuti Island of Tuvalu in 2004

Prime Minister Natano said Tuvalu had proposed a treaty that included a provision to "protect and support each other as we face the threat of climate change and geostrategic challenges".

On the other hand, funding will also be provided by Australia for land reclamation to expand the area of Tuvalu's capital Funafuti by 6%.

Low-lying Tuvalu is one of the countries most at risk from climate change. Two of its nine atolls have already been almost submerged by the waves and scientists fear the entire island nation will be uninhabitable within 80 years.

At the United Nations climate change conference (COP27) last year, Tuvalu said it planned to build a digital version of the country with iconic islands and structures to preserve its history and culture.

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