At the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), that ended on Saturday July27th, Foreign Minister, Justin Tkatchenko, reiterated PNG's commitment to regional security and cooperation. Tkatchenko stressed the importance of the ARF in fostering dialogue and addressing common security challenges. "Papua New Guinea views the ARF as an important platform for discussing regional security and cooperation." "We would like to emphasize the importance of enhancing dialogue, building trust, and promoting collaborative efforts among member states to address security challenges.” Tkatchenko highlighted PNG's geographical and strategic significance, emphasizing the country's commitment to the ARF's goals and objectives. He underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in tackling transnational threats such as terrorism, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and cybercrime. "On Security Cooperation, PNG advocates for collaborative efforts to tackle transnational threats such as terrorism, human trafficking, drug smuggling, IUU fishing, and cybercrime." In this context, IUU fishing stands for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing. It refers to fishing activities that violate national or international laws, are not reported or misreported to relevant authorities, or are conducted by vessels without nationality or not following established regulations. He also added the need for effective disaster response mechanisms and regional preparedness, advocating for respect for national sovereignty and inclusive dialogue. The 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings, including the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum was completed on Saturday afternoon.