CHOGM and Brexit, what this may mean for Solomon Islands

The current Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) is a unique opportunity for Heads to engage on the 'sideline.' Australia has certainly used the opportunity to reach out to Pacific friends, holding talks with Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Not always easy to get Government Heads in the same area code, so why not! The time spent preparing for such bilateral side meetings are probably more time consuming than the actual meeting itself - things like making sure the brief is well researched and up to date. Solomon Islands should use this opportunity to engage proactively with the host, on the side or by the bar, whichever way, it would be good to get a sense of what will happen when the upcoming, much anticipated, Brexit happens. We need to start asking questions, see where their priorities are - mix and match - now that we will be engaging bilaterally, and not through this big machine that was once the EC, get a feel for what’s to come.