The bilateral relationship between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Indonesia has diversified from border relations to broader areas since the inception of the Annual Leaders’ Dialogue in 2022.
Prime Minister (PM) James Marape made this known at the two leaders’ joint press conference after the 3rd Papua New Guinea – Indonesia Leaders’ Dialogue held at Bogor Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia before jointly signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further expend that relationship.
He said the PNG-Indonesia relations have diversified over the last three years since the inception of the Annual Leaders’ Dialogue, which has shifted the focus from just border relations to business, trade, investment, agriculture, economic infrastructure development, information communication and technology and energy, which has increased the opportunity for PNG in benefiting more from this bilateral relationship.
He added that business-to-business cooperation has also intensified between the countries’ chambers of business, synergizing efforts to increase trade, while adding that it was under President Widodo’s leadership that the first PNG-Indonesia Leaders’ Dialogue was initiated in 2022 in Jakarta.
The PM said the Annual Leaders’ Dialogue has been an effective mechanism to coordinate and measure progress of the existing bilateral relations that continues to foster business, trade and commerce, and socioeconomic development, riding on Indonesia’s positive economic growth and PNG’s potential to harness and trade its vast renewable and non-renewable resources.
Marape said as a part of policy reforms in both countries to grow the business-to-business and people-to-people relations, both governments have officially signed four Memorandum of Understanding to progress these areas further.
Those four MoUs which were formalized are,
• MoU on Cross Border Movement for Commercial Buses and Coaches,
• MoU on Cross Border Transport of Goods by Motor Vehicles,
• MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Education, and
• Renewed MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Health.
PM Marape later thanked President Widodo for continuing to foster relations with PNG even while preparing to hand over the reign of the presidency of the Republic of Indonesia to his successor, H.E Prabowo Subianto.
Marape also thanked President Widodo for the bilateral relations he has fostered with the people and the government of Papua New Guinea during his tenure as the President of the Republic of Indonesia.