Tuesday 6 February 2024
(l-r) Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Hon. Pat Conroy, PNG Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Justin Tkatchenko and Senator Penny Wong, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Justin Tkatchenko met with Australian Cabinet Ministers, to discuss Prime Minister James Marape’s Guest of Government visit to Australia later this week.
Mr Tkatchenko met with Senator Penny Wong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Honourable Pat Conroy, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, today, Tuesday 6 February 2024 at the Australian National Parliament, in Canberra.
Minister Tkatchenko elaborated on the agreed Announcements which would include law and justice, immigration, climate funding, critical infrastructure investments, scholarships amongst others.
Minister Tkatchenko reassured both Senator Wong and Minister Conroy of the PNG Government’s commitment to its traditional security partners in working with them to securing the peace and stability of the region, hence, dispelling the misinformation that PNG is entering into a security cooperation with the People’s Republic of China.
Foreign Minister Tkatchenko, in acknowledging Prime Minister Albanese reciprocal invitation to Prime Minister Marape to address the Australian Parliament during the latter’s Guest of Government visit this week, stressed that key common issues have been progressed in the bilateral partnership between the two countries and the need to implement them, including the implementation of the Bilateral Security Agreement and the labour mobility schemes such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) amongst others.