Top diplomats have gathered in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bloody Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug. 7, 1942 to Feb. 9, 1943)—considered a turning point during the Second World War for the Allied forces.
Among the attendees was Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Australia, Makoto Onika, Japan’s Defence Minister, as well as the Pacific and Defence Industry ministers of Australia (Pat Conroy) and New Zealand (Peeni Henare). Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was absent from proceedings.
