Relationship dossier
Australia
Kiribati
Relationship assessment
A practical partnership focused on development, maritime security and labor mobility
Australia toward Kiribati
+35Australia provides development assistance to Kiribati and supplied a Guardian-class patrol boat as part of its Pacific maritime security program. Australian labor-mobility arrangements also provide a channel for Kiribati citizens to work in Australia.
Kiribati toward Australia
+25Kiribati participates in maritime surveillance cooperation supported by Australia's Pacific patrol boat program and in labor-mobility arrangements with Australia. These provide concrete channels of bilateral cooperation.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship is shaped by Australian development and maritime-security support and Kiribati's participation in related cooperation, alongside labor-mobility links. These practical arrangements underpin a generally cooperative partnership; their scale and continuity are not fully clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Australia and Kiribati maintain a practical partnership centered on development assistance, maritime security and labor mobility. Australia has provided development support and a Guardian-class patrol boat, while Kiribati participates in regional maritime surveillance and Australian labor-mobility arrangements. The relationship is cooperative, though the scope and implementation of these arrangements are not fully clear.
Key developments
Australia supplied Kiribati with a Guardian-class patrol boat under its Pacific maritime security program.
Kiribati participates in Australian labor-mobility arrangements.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and continuity of Australian development assistance and maritime cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of Kiribati's participation in Australian labor-mobility arrangements is unclear.