Japan will continue to assist Papua New Guinea in preparations leading up to the 2018 APEC Leaders’ Summit.
Japan’s Ambassador to PNG Morio Matsumoto said that through a non-project grant aid program, Japan can further assist PNG in preparation for hosting APEC 2018 meeting.
This is a major event with logistic capacity including vehicles for transportation of participants, especially very important people.
Matsumoto announced this today during the signing of the exchange notes of a K13m (five hundred million Japanese Yen) Grant to implement the Economic and Social Development Program.
The grant is for education materials and the provision of buses that will assist with transport logistics during the APEC 2018 meeting.
Matsumoto said this is one way of the Japanese Government to assist PNG’s efforts in hosting the APEC 2018.
“Hosting such a major event imposes enormous strain and challenges on the country’s existing resources and therefore needs all the assistance it can get to host this event successfully.” he said.
Ambassafor Matsumoto added that this is the first step in supporting PNG leading up to APEC and there’ll be further collaboration and the support will be extended in the future.
“Japan has always been a close friend of PNG so we will further our assistance and make our best effort to collaborate and corporate together.
“Due to the strong bond and friendship between PNG and Japan, I’m determined to continue to support the development of PNG and the people,” he said.