The Prime Minister James Marape has arrived in the US Capital, Washington D.C. for the first ever US-Pacific Islands Countries (U.S-PICs) Leaders’ Summit at the White House this week. Mr Marape arrived at the Dulles International Airport, Dulles, Virginia at 9.20pm local Washington DC time in an All Nippon Airways flight from Tokyo, Japan where he had been attending the funeral of slain and late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, amongst other world leaders and thousands of mourners. He was received and greeted on arrival by Mr Cephas Kayo, the Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Papua New Guinea to the US and H.E Mr Max Rai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of PNG to the United Nations, representatives of the US Department of State and the US Secret Service. On Thursday 29th September, Prime Minister Marape will join other Pacific Islands countries Leaders in meeting US President Joe Biden at the White House this week. Mr Marape will attend the first day of the US-Pacific Islands Country Leaders Summit on Wednesday, 28th September, 2022 to be held at the US Department of State Office in Washington DC. Prime Minister Marape is being accompanied by Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, Mrs Rachael Marape, Member for Goilala, Casmiro Aia, North Waghi MP Benjamin Mul, East New Britain Governor, Michael Marum, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Elias Wohengu and other senior technical officials for the US-PICs Leaders’ Summit. The US and Pacific Leaders will be holding discussions on People centered development in the Pacific, economic and trade ties, climate change action, climate resilience and clean energy transformation, challenges in the maritime domain, fishing and maritime law enforcement. On Thursday, 29th September, Washington DC time will be the 2nd Day of the US-Pacific Islands Country Summit at the US Chamber of Commerce. Prime Minister Marape will have an audience with US Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Rayburn Room, United States Capitol building also in Washington D.C. Mr Marape will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko, Foreign Affairs Secretary Elias Wohengu and Charge d’ Affaires Mr Cephas Kayo and selected PNG government officials to those meetings. Following Mr Marape’s meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi he will meet US President Joe Biden at the White House. US President Biden will receive the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Countries who are attending the US-PICs Leaders’ Summit at the White House for a family photo and dinner. To conclude the 2 Day US-PICs Leaders’ Summit the leaders will sign a Declaration on US-Pacific Partnership. The proposed Declaration likely include amongst others a resolve by the leaders to strengthen the US-Pacific Partnership, commitment to bolstering Pacific regionalism, addressing climate change together, ensure the partnership supports the advancement of economic growth and sustainable development in the Pacific. The Joint US-Pacific Partnership Declaration also addresses support for each other during natural disasters, support the Blue Pacific and laws that govern it. The Leaders are also committed toward peace and security across the Blue Pacific region. The proposed Joint US-Pacific Islands Countries Declaration will guide the US-Pacific Partnerships in the implementation of the resolutions through mutual respect, transparency and accountability. The two-day US-Pacific Leaders’ Summit also noted that the officials will meet regularly, bilaterally and collectively to ensure that the US-Pacific Partnership continues to deliver practical results for the people in the Pacific and the world. Prime Minister Marape will be flying home via Brisbane Australia on Friday 30th September, ending almost two weeks of overseas official engagements. Mr Marape’s first engagement was the funeral of the late British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, followed by the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly-UNGA where he delivered the PNG country statement. He then flew to Brisbane where he met his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the PNG-Australia Prime Ministers 13 rugby match between the two countries. The two leaders then flew to Japan for the funeral of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, where he met and held fruitful discussion with current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.