“This partnership gives us hope. It has touched our hearts deeply,” Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano said.
Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. Its total area is only 26 km² and it is inhabited by only 11 thousand inhabitants. Initially, 280 people per year will be able to move to Australia.
The Australian Prime Minister emphasized that it was the most significant agreement ever signed between Australia and a Pacific Island country.
“I believe developed countries have a responsibility to help and that is exactly what we are doing,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
It is also the first time Australia has offered residency permits to foreign nationals due to the threat of climate change, Australian media reported.
The agreement between the two countries, known as the Falepili Alliance, also sees Australia committed to protecting the Pacific nation from military aggression, and Tuvalu has agreed that it will not enter into defense agreements with other countries without Australia’s consent.
New Zealand and the United States have similar agreements with some other Pacific countries, such as Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Cook Islands, the British broadcaster BBC reported.
Australia has also pledged financial support to Tuvalu to help the island’s population adapt to climate change. In total, the island will receive almost 11 million US dollars or 10.3 million euros, so that it can increase its land area by 6%.
Tuvalu has long struggled with how to protect itself from rising water levels. In September, Tuvalu amended its constitution to state that its statehood would remain in perpetuity, even if its physical territory was lost to climate change or other factors.
But in January, Tuvalu’s government promised to create a digital version of the island in the metaverse to preserve its history and culture.
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2023-11-10 15:10:34
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