Australia and Vanuatu sign Nakamal security agreement after scaled-back ambitions (legrandcontinent.eu)

• Nakamal Agreement signed June 29, 2026 in Canberra
• Australia dropped veto demand, settled for consultation mechanism
• Vanuatu simultaneously negotiating Namele pact with China

"Australia and Vanuatu signed the Nakamal security agreement on June 29, 2026, in Canberra. Originally announced in August 2025, the pact was diluted after Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat renegotiated key clauses under Chinese pressure. Instead of an exclusive veto over critical infrastructure, Australia obtained only a consultation mechanism. The agreement designates Australia as the "primary partner" for policing but does not exclude Chinese police cooperation. Vanuatu is simultaneously negotiating a separate strategic cooperation agreement with China, called Namele. The episode highlights the limits of Australian regional hegemony and the increasing leverage of Pacific island states in great-power competition."