Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister

PNG’s free trade principles to be on show

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Rimbink Pato, called on his counterparts from the other 20 APEC economies to make inclusiveness the underlying principle to enable a more meaningful meeting.

Minister Pato said today’s 30th Ministerial Meeting is a culmination of all the lead up meetings held during the year that recognised the current challenges to the multilateral trading system.

Russian warship to dock in POM

The 7000-ton Perekop training ship is loaded with 200 cadets and armed with anti-submarine rockets and anti-aircraft guns. It will arrive in Port Moresby on Wednesday and stay until Saturday, Russian state media reported, quoting Russia’s navy spokesman Igor Dygalo.

The ship is on a two-month long mission that began in April and has included stopovers in Europe and Sri Lanka. Russia’s ministry of defence said the aim of the mission was to conduct exercises to train cadets in navigation.

Pato meets President of France

Minister Pato was the special envoy of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill at a meeting of Pacific leaders with the President in Noumea.

President Macron led the discussion on a wide range of regional and global issues, including climate change and biodiversity.

Minister Pato told the French leader that the Pacific welcomed his statement in Sydney last week affirming the commitment of France to a rules-based international order.

Pato in Dubai to discuss Expo 2020

The Minister is the envoy of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill at the International Participants Meeting (19-20 October) for Expo 2020, which will be held in Dubai from October 2020 to April 2021, and expected to attract 25 million visitors.

Pato said the Expo would not only be the first for the Middle East but would be the most globally diverse, and a showcase of modern technology.

He said PNG was working to contribute via its own pavilion to the success of Expo 2020 and to bring many benefits back home.