Ambassador Erin McKee

Just a few days ago, the United States and PNG completed a joint military exercise called Tamiok Strike, where both defense forces trained one another for combat.  The PNG Defense Force taught the US guys how to fight in the jungles of PNG.

PNG officials travelled to Hawaii for training at the Indo-Pacific Command, and to Wisconsin over the winter – where they saw snow for the first time - to begin the new partnership with the Wisconsin National Guard. Moreover, Wisconsin National Guard forces traveled to PNG to continue the legacy of the partnership.

US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu Erin McKee announced the sanctions to the PNG media this morning adding that NATO and its friends are united more than ever.

“The United States and our allies, partners and friends are taking action to hold Russia accountable.

“The US, United Kingdom, European Union, Japan and Canada have removed selected Russian Banks from the ‘swift messaging system” and have imposed restrictive measures on the Russian central Bank.

She said this is a shared responsibility that we must take, within the regional and global arena for the sake of our future generation.

 “Our future depends on a clean and healthy ocean, where protection and sustainable use go hand in hand. Our oceans are under threat from the effects of climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity and unsustainable use."

Ambassador McKee congratulated the government of Papua New Guinea for taking a step forward in putting this policy to preserve this very vital national resource.