Autonomous Bougainville Government President, Ishmael Toroama, has thanked the National Government for facilitating their trade visit to the Solomon Islands.
The ABG went on an inaugural official trade and investment visit from November 26th-29th.
ABG and Solomon Islands officials met in Honiara and signed the Record of Discussions on Trade and Investment between Solomon Islands and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The joint encounter provided an opportunity to reaffirm that the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Solomon Islands are longstanding traditional neighbours with shared democratic values and interests aligned to positions on key regional and border issues, strong people-to-people ties, and a growing and mutually beneficial trade and economic relationship.
“Solomon Islands recognised the shared traditional, cultural and blood ties with the people of Bougainville,” said President Toroama.
“My government’s inaugural official trade and investment visit was done in conformity with the Framework Treaty Guiding Relations between Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea 1986, the Treaty concerning the Sovereignty, Maritime, Seabed Boundaries and Cooperation 1989; the Melanesian Trade Agreement 2005; and more recently, the Framework Agreement on Development and Economic Cooperation between the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea 2020.
“This includes the legal and constitutional status of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville under the Bougainville Peace Agreement 2001 and Part XIV of the National Constitution of Papua New Guinea.
“The officials jointly agreed to explore trade and investment opportunities along the common border and beyond in each country.
“I am pleased with the agreement by the officials to also hold further joint talks in consultation with the National Government of Papua New Guinea to regulate trade, deepen economic integration and foster mutually beneficial trade and investment links between our respective private sectors.
“On behalf of my government, I would like to formally thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & External Trade of Solomon Islands, which has already carried out its own internal consultative activities to regulate trade along the Western and Eastern Borders of Solomon Islands with Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.”