The Rudd Government has begun to put Australia's relations with the Pacific on a new and better footing since taking office.
Export statistics only tell half the story about the foreign earnings of Australian companies and are no longer a sufficient measure in a globalised economy.
Forget mining and financial services. Agribusiness is shaping up to be the next hot investment sector.
A year is a long time in business, but in the case of Australia's listed infrastructure trust (LIT) and listed property trust (LPT) sectors it is almost their entire lifetime.
A solemn prayer and a stirring rendition of the West Papuan national anthem kick-started the gathering in a house behind the little South Seas church in Vanuatu's capital Port Vila.
On the face of it, the offshore earnings of Australia's most globalised companies are powering along. They have increased by 15.3 per cent to $218.9 billion in a year when the international environment has become progressively more volatile.
It comes as no surprise that Australia's resources industry makes a healthy showing in The Diplomat Global 100, with the sector having 15 companies on the list.