The Nakamal Agreement has been signed, but at what cost?
Australia has secured the Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu, but at what diplomatic cost? Siobhan McDonnell examines the pressure tactics used, the one-sided obligations imposed on Vanuatu and the goodwill Canberra may have sacrificed for a single treaty. About the author/s Siobhan McDonnell Siobhan McDonnell is an Associate Professor at the Crawford School of…
Why it matters: This matters because diplomatic sequencing often reveals alignment changes before force posture does. The Pacific file is strongest when it follows local politics and public priorities first.