Relationship dossier
New Zealand
Solomon Islands
Relationship assessment
Sustained development and security cooperation, with some strain over Solomon Islands' security agreement with China.
New Zealand toward Solomon Islands
+45New Zealand has provided development assistance to Solomon Islands and contributed personnel to RAMSI, the regional mission that supported security and governance from 2003 to 2017. At Solomon Islands' request, New Zealand also sent police support following unrest in Honiara in 2021.
Solomon Islands toward New Zealand
+35Solomon Islands participated in RAMSI, which included New Zealand personnel, and its government requested New Zealand police support following the 2021 unrest in Honiara. These actions reflect practical security cooperation with New Zealand.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship has a durable cooperative foundation in development assistance and regional security work, including RAMSI and New Zealand police support requested by Solomon Islands in 2021. New Zealand's concerns about Solomon Islands' security agreement with China have been a source of friction, but the relationship is not defined solely by that issue.
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
New Zealand and Solomon Islands have sustained cooperation in development and regional security. New Zealand contributed to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and provided police support after unrest in Honiara in 2021, at the Solomon Islands government's request. New Zealand also provides development assistance. Relations have included some strain over Solomon Islands' security agreement with China, which prompted New Zealand concern.
Areas of tension
- New Zealand expressed concern about Solomon Islands' security agreement with China.
Key developments
New Zealand participated in RAMSI, the regional mission supporting security and governance in Solomon Islands.
Following unrest in Honiara, Solomon Islands requested and received police support from New Zealand.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and current priorities of New Zealand's development assistance are unclear.
- The scope of continuing bilateral security cooperation is unclear.