As part of security preparations for APEC, the United States Coast Guard hosted a delegation of officials from the Maritime Working Group from Papua New Guinea in Guam on the 3rd to the 6th of April, 2018.
The visit to Guam was a result of the U.S.-PNG partnership supporting preparations for this year’s APEC summit. The PNG delegation included Sylvester Adema from the Department of Transport, Sebastian Marru from PNG Defence Force (Navy), and Ben Kerri SAR controller at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center.
For the first time ever, the PNG attendees participated in an actual exercise held by the U.S. Coast Guard with partnering agencies. The delegation also met with Coast Guard leadership and toured the U.S. Coast Guard base in Guam. They used the opportunity to ask questions about security for events such as APEC. They also heard presentations on U.S implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code through the domestic Maritime Transportation Security Act and toured the Guam container facility.
PNG delegates then met with the representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard contingency planning branch to plan development for security and safety. This important meeting provided information about how to develop plans and exercise scenarios for APEC 2018.
This visit was the most recent exchange between PNG and the United States in advance of APEC. A Coast Guard team will be in Port Moresby in July to provide further training to port officials from PNG, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.