Fiji, Sept. 10 -- Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has hailed the signing of a new security agreement with Fiji, calling it a deepening of Melanesian solidarity and a safeguard for national and regional stability.

"We are gathered to witness the signing of the bilateral Agreement for the Deployment of the Republic of Fiji Security Personnel to Solomon Islands

The signing today represents a deepening of relations between our two Melanesian countries. We are connected by the Pacific Ocean, Culture and our Shared History," Manele said.

He reflected on the longstanding ties between the two nations, from Fijian missionaries and workers in colonial days to Solomon Islanders who supported development in Fiji before independence....