PNG keen on improved engagement

Papua New Guinea as a very interested partner in the Pacific region is keen to engage with other Pacific countries on many issues including climate change that affect all countries alike.

Prime Minister for Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill said while the government was very keen to engage with respective countries in the Pacific, it was equally keen to engage with development partners as well and was looking toward that in the coming days of the forum.

”However, coming to the forum on the back of an election we also have specific agendas which we took to the elections and need to be addressed at the country level,“ he said.

The internal issues included the government giving particular attention to education, health, law and order and fighting corruption within the country.

”Of course we also need infrastructure to continue to maintain the growth of our economy and maintaining and ensuring the fiscal economy continues to deliver a better outcome that our country deserves,“ he said.

O’Neill said some of the agendas may be too large and considered to be too ambitious at times but we believe that we can be able to deliver over the next five years.

”So we came to the forum keen to engage with all the other countries and development partners in terms of regional trade, security and migrations, he said.

Papua New Guinea was also interested in partnerships that would enable labour mobility within the region and will pursue that over the next few days when such issues are discussed.

Similar issues were also discussed at the Small Island State leaders (SIS) meeting.

Speaking during opening of the SIS leaders meeting, ahead of other meetings that are to follow, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, PIFs general secretary said the scheduling of the SIS leaders meeting was significant.

”Being the first in the series of meetings of Forum leaders this week it provides the opportunity ahead of other meetings for you strategically to caucus and reflect on the issues of particular importance to the Smaller Island States.“

He said such a meeting also served to reinforce and to highlight the recognition of the smaller island states in the Pacific as the most vulnerable among Forum members.

The SIS comprise Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Wallis & Futuna, Tokelau and French Polynesia.