After nearly ten months of delays and a previous cancellation by Vanuatu's leader over sovereignty worries, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat signed the Nakamal Agreement in Canberra. The final pact was softened from an earlier draft that had explicitly barred Chinese involvement in Vanuatu's ports, airports, and telecoms; instead it now requires Vanuatu to consult Australia before allowing any outside party to engage with that infrastructure, which must stay free of militarization and foreign interference. Albanese described the deal as a balanced one, calling it "a recognition of sovereignty" while also affirming Australia's standing as the Pacific's preferred security partner. The agreement further designates Australia, New Zealand, and France as Vanuatu's first responders for humanitarian crises and names Australia its primary policing partner. The signing concludes tense negotiations set against a backdrop of Australia and China competing for influence in the Pacific, with Beijing reportedly still pursuing its own separate pact with Vanuatu.