Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was planning to travel to Papua New Guinea from the 12th to 13 of December 2022 has seen a change in his travel schedule.
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape received news that his counterpart Anthony Albanese will not be able to come to Papua New Guinea from the 12 and 13 December as planned.
Prime Minister Marape said PM Albanese has tested positive for COVID and is currently isolating therefore his planned visit has now been rescheduled to 2023.
He wishes for a full recovery for the Australian Prime Minister and looks forward to his visit early next year.
The visit would have seen both nations approach the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations following PNG’s independence in 1975.
This would have been the first visit for Prime Minister Albanese and in a statement made previously before notice of him with COVID he said,“We also have a shared vision for the future, a more prosperous, unified and secure region. I look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Marape in Port Moresby and discussing our cooperation across trade, economic recovery, infrastructure, defence, policing and climate resilience.”
Papua New Guinea has had a unique and long shared history and Australia is one of Papua New Guinea’s important development partners.
He knows the visit and corresponding meetings that will occur during the visit will help enhance and strengthen our already strong friendship that has our shared history embedded in it.