26 Aug 2003

Vanuatu police leave for Solomons next week

10:30 am on 26 August 2003

The government of Vanuatu says its contingent of police officers to join the Australian-led intervention force in Solomon Islands is set to leave within a week.

Vanuatu endorsed the Australian initiative to send security forces once it received backing by Pacific Islands Forum ministers at the end of June.

But the deployment was delayed in part because it was uncertain how insurance could be arranged for ni-Vanuatu officers.

A government spokesman, Daniel Bangtor, says the problems are being resolved.

"Those are the issues that are being discussed and I understand there are some common understandings that have been arrived at. So our officers will be able to be deployed towards the end of this month."