Vanuatu Says Security Deal With Australia Pending Ratification Amid Sovereignty Concerns

An aerial view of Erakor island and the coastline of Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Dec. 7, 2019. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Vanuatu’s prime minister said on Wednesday that a security pact signed with Australia last year had not been ratified by parliament due to concerns that it did not reflect the sovereignty of the Pacific nation.

Speaking to reporters in Port Vila, Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said the pact “does not compel Vanuatu to anything” and urged his government to work toward getting it ratified by parliament.