The United States will re-establish an embassy in the Solomon Islands, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday.

The U.S. closed its embassy in the Solomons Island's capital Honiara in 1993 and is now represented by a consulate there, directed from the U.S. embassy in Papua New Guinea.

Blinken announced the embassy move during a visit to Fiji, where he met virtually with around 18 Pacific island leaders.

He was the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Fiji in 37 years.

(Cover: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken watches a cultural farewell ceremony during his visit to Nadi, Fiji, February 12, 2022. /Reuters)