CANBERRA, 03 FEBRUARY 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine has met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an official visit to Canberra – the first Marshallese leader to visit Down Under in more than three decades.
The last visit by a Marshall Islands president occurred in 1993, according to the Australian Embassy in the Marshal Islands.
The Marshall Islands is an independent Pacific nation in a Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Heine’s visit marked “a renewed chapter in high-level engagement” between the two nations, her office said in a statement.
It said the discussions between the two leaders focused on climate action and shared regional priorities.
“President Heine further recognised the soon‑to‑be‑opened Australian Embassy in Majuro as a major milestone in the bilateral relationship.”
Heine has also extended an invitation to Albanese to visit the Marshall Islands at a future date to “further deepen ties and reaffirm Australia’s commitment to the Pacific family”.
“The Pacific is our home and our relationships with our neighbours’ matter,” Albanese said in a post on X.
“An honour to welcome the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Dr Heine, to Australia,” he added…. PACNEWS