10 May 2024

Nuku’alofa, 9 May 2024: His Excellency Mr. Brek Batley, the newly appointed High Commissioner of Australia to the Kingdom of Tonga paid his first courtesy call on the Honourable Hu’akavameiliku, The Prime Minister.

At the meeting this morning, the close diplomatic ties, longstanding partnership and cordial relations between the Heads of State, Governments, and Peoples of Australia and the Kingdom of Tonga were re-affirmed.

As a key bilateral partner, the Tonga Government acknowledges with appreciation the support from the Australian Government of more than 55 million Australian Dollars over the last several years. It has definitively enabled the Government of Tonga to deliver on its priorities in Health Security, Stability, and Economic Recovery.

Australia also supports Tonga through a number of vital projects such as the construction of a new Tonga Parliament House, sustaining the Tonga Police Development Programme, co-financing the Nuku’alofa Network Upgrade Project and assisting with projects on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Aviation.

The Government of Tonga is grateful for the Australia’s contribution and cooperation as the incoming Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and host of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga from the 26th to the 30th of August 2024.