In a significant move to strengthen diplomatic relations, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and New Zealand (NZ) have pledged to hold more frequent consultations at the Ministerial level. The decision was reached following a bilateral meeting between PNG’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Justin Tkatchenko, and his New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, who also serves as New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister. The meeting took place on Monday, May 13, in Port Moresby at the Hilton Hotel. Both Ministers agree this is an important step towards advancing cooperative arrangements between the two nations, and that regular Ministerial consultations would pave the way for more structured annual meetings, supplementing the existing annual Foreign Affairs Secretary Meeting, commonly known as High-Level Consultations. The expanded consultation framework is expected to boost collaboration across various sectors including business, trade, investment, public service cooperation, education, agriculture, energy (particularly in geothermal exploration), and labor mobility under the Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) Program. Minister Tkatchenko, speaking at a joint press conference following the bilateral discussions, expressed the Marape-Rosso Government's enthusiasm for closer collaboration with the new government of New Zealand. This commitment signifies a pivotal moment in the ongoing partnership between the two nations, promising mutual benefits and enhanced cooperation in key areas of interest. "We must have more consultations at the Ministerial level on an annual basis, to regularly consolidate what we know, for our collaborations, and to ensure we have the intended outcomes for the benefit of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand,” Minister Tkatchenko said, pointing out that regular ministerial consultation ensures arrangements agreed upon are actually implemented. The bilateral discussions also focused on the need to review the PNG-New Zealand Statement of Partnership (SOP), which covers the broad spectrum of initiatives and program collaborations in areas of mutual interest. "The PNG-NZ SOP signed in 2021 was a significant milestone in relations, in providing the framework for both countries to cooperate in delivering identified priorities," Minister Tkatchenko said. Deputy Prime Minister Peters whilst in agreement with Minister Tkatchenko added that the objective of any long-term program is that "everybody is a winner" from the perspective of individual Pacific Island nations, including New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. "We've covered a lot of areas today (Monday), we've got to work on in the future, that's for a fact," Peters said. "We work towards contributing, and New Zealand's commitments are about supporting Papua New Guinea to achieve its development priorities.” "We have committed to working closely with Papua New Guinea and other Pacific partners to address the shared issues within the region, including basic climate change, security, and economic resilience.” “And what we learn separately or together, we can help each other with across the board."