Australian Prime Minister Hon. Anthony Albanese will visit Papua New Guinea next week for a two-day official visit, Prime Minister James Marape announced yesterday (January 5, 2022).
Prime Minister Albanese will travel to PNG from January 12-13 to attend the Annual Leaders’ Dialogue alongside his counterpart Prime Minister Marape in Port Moresby.
Following the Dialogue, the Prime Ministers will travel together to Wewak to visit the resting place of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.
“We look forward to the visit of Australian Prime Minister Albanese to PNG,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“I have spent time with my good friend, Prime Minister Albanese, on several occasions last year, including in Australia at the Prime Minister’s XIII Rugby League match.
“For Prime Minister Albanese to start the New Year with a visit to Papua New Guinea reinforces the strong bond between our two countries.
“Australia and Papua New Guinea have a long history and this visit will strengthen our shared vision for the future. “Australia is a very-important foundation bilateral partner of PNG, in as far as nation-to-nation relations are concerned.
“This will be the first visit by an Australian Prime Minister to PNG since my ascension to the Office of Prime Minister on May 30, 2019.
“It is also special in that at the time of Independence in 1975, the Australian Labor Party led by the late Gough Whitlam was in Government in Australia, while the Pangu Pati led by the late Sir Michael Somare was in Government in PNG.
“Prime Minister Albanese has also indicated that he will be travelling all the way to Wewak to lay a wreath on the tomb of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.”
Prime Minister Marape assured the people of PNG that preparations were fully underway for the visit by Prime Minister Albanese.
“Our Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Justin Tkatchenko, is organising the programme and we are full prepared for the visit by Prime Minister Albanese,” he said.
“Part of the programme will include Prime Minister Albanese addressing our National Parliament, which we are offering as a mark of respect to the Australian leader, as PNG marches towards our 50th anniversary of Independence,” he said.
“It is only befitting that the leader of the Australian Labor Party, which granted Independence to PNG in 1975 through then leader Gough Whitlam, be given this honour of addressing our National Parliament.”