Australia's Wong to visit Pacific in bipartisan effort to boost ties

Australia's foreign minister will be part of a bipartisan group of Australian politicians set to travel to Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau this week in a bid to bolster regional ties, Qazet.az reports.

The group comprises Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, senior government minister Pat Conroy, and their opposition counterparts, the politicians said in a joint statement on Sunday.

Australia has been working to shore up its standing in the Pacific amid growing influence from China, which entered a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April.