A multi-agency delegation made up of representatives from the White House National Security Council, the State Department, the Department of Defense, and USAID arrived in Port Moresby on Sunday led by Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).
During their visit, the delegates will meet with PNG government officials, heads of other diplomatic missions, business leaders, civil society groups, and students.
The delegates will highlight the range of ongoing areas of cooperation between the United States and Papua New Guinea that both countries discussed at the U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit in 2022 and the U.S. Pacific Islands Forum Summit held at the White House in 2023.
The delegation represents the full scope of United States efforts in diplomacy, development, and defense, underscoring the progress made to enhance our cooperation with Papua New Guinea and deepen our partnerships in the areas of the economy, security, health, energy, and regional partnership.
Admiral Paparo, a native of Morton, Pennsylvania graduated from Villanova University and was commissioned in 1987.
Paparo assumed duties as Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in May 2024.
He is the 27th commander of the nation’s oldest and largest combatant command. USINDOPACOM includes 380,000 soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Guardians, Coast Guardsmen and Department of Defense civilians and is responsible for all U.S. military activities in the Indo-Pacific, covering 36 nations, 14 time zones, and 60 percent of the world’s population.