Preparation for hosting of ACP meet on track

Preparations for hosting of the eight (8th) Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of State and Government in Port Moresby are on track.

The Chairman of the ACP Ambassadorial Working Group in Brussels and Papua New Guinea’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union Joshua Kalinoe said he is satisfied with the arrangements put in place by the National Organising Committee (NOC).

“Since I arrived in Port Moresby last week, I have attended coordination briefing sessions of the NOC jointly chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the APEC Authority. I am satisfied that the National Organising Committee has done an excellent job to date in respect to logistics, policy and security.

“I have therefore informed the ACP Secretary General, Dr Patrick Gomes, that Papua New Guinea is ready to deliver the Summit,” Kalinoe said

The Summit which will be held from May 30 to June 1, 2016 will consider important policy and operational issues on the ACP- EU relationship.

It will be attended by Head of State and Governments and Ministers. Special guests from international organizations, including the European Union have been invited to attend.

The European Union is Papua New Guinea’s second largest development partner where EDF resources have been allocated and utilized under the ACP-EU framework.

Apart from the EDF resources, Papua New Guinea has an Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU where most of the country’s canned and loin tuna are exported under a duty free, quota free access arrangement. The Agreement is being strengthened and deepens to include other agricultural products, including cocoa and coffee.

The ACP Leaders will start arriving on May 28 for the joint meeting of the ACP Council of Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs on May30, followed by the Summit on May 31 and June 1.

ACP is a membership of 79 States.  The ACP meet will be held at the Convention Centre

 

 

Author: 
Charles Yapumi