Foreign Affairs Minister

Tkatchenko Meets International Community

This meeting signified Minister Tkatchenko’s commencement of his mission back at the Department of Foreign Affairs, to instill and regain the confidence of the international community.

Tkatchenko's reinstatement has come with the huge task of regaining the confidence of the international community in the country together with the country’s bilateral and multilateral partners abroad.

Marsudi brought up to speed

PNG Foreign Affairs Minister, Justin Tkatchenko had the opportunity to inform his counterpart Indonesia Foreign Affairs Minister, Retno Marsudi on the ratification of the long outstanding bilateral arrangements between the two countries from the PNG side.

He also spoke on the Basic Border Agreement signed in 2013, the Visa Waiver Agreement signed in 2015 and the PNG NEC approval of the PNG/Indonesia Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Tkatchenko travels to Indonesia

The long outstanding Border Agreement was reviewed three times with the latest review in 2013. Minister Tkatchenko on Wednesday 15th of March Parliament sitting, successfully rectified the process.

The ratification will pave the way for both governments to review the current status of the border and constructively address outstanding issues that affect both countries.

Deadline for Security Treaty confirmed

Secretary Elias Wohengu confirmed that they should be able to see this complete by April.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Justin Tkatchenko stated that the Secretary for Foreign Affairs with the Chief Secretary for Papua New Guinea are leading all negotiations and documentation for the security treaty with Australia.

PNG yet to ratify border agreement

Since its inception in 1983, the Agreement has undergone three reviews, the first review was undertaken in 1993, the second one in 2003 and the third was undertaken in 2013, after which Indonesia has formally ratified the 2013 revised Agreement whilst PNG is yet to do so.

This agreement is now up for review but before that takes place, PNG must ratify the agreement and thereafter have it subjected for review by both the two contracting parties.

PNG’s new satellite internet system

The critical investment by Australia saw its Foreign Affairs Minister, Marise Payne, join PNG’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rimbink Pato, yesterday for the event.

Payne said the new system will benefit Papua New Guineans by reducing barriers to learning, improving private sector capacity and fostering job creation in the long term.

“In the near term, the project will boost connectivity for APEC meetings in Port Moresby in November,” she stated.

New UN resident official presents credentials

Gianluca Rampolla officially takes up his post in-country.

During the meeting, Rampolla and Pato discussed prospects for deepening the strategic partnership between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the United Nations in realising the Sustainable Development Goals as well as national development and peacebuilding priorities.

“It was a great honour to meet with Mr. Rimbink Pato and to present him with the Letter of Credentials from the UN Secretary-General, appointing me as the UN resident coordinator in Papua New Guinea,” Rampolla said.