Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said his country had much to learn from Indonesia, especially in terms of economic independence and people’s welfare in all fields, including education and health.
In a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta, Tuesday, Tkatchenko stressed the importance of cooperation in order to maintain the sovereignty and prosperity of the two countries.
“The Papua New Guinea government really wants to strengthen relations with Indonesia and take it to the next level for the benefit of our people and economy, as well as regional security,” he said when delivering a joint press statement after the meeting.
The meeting discussed a number of issues, including the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea defense cooperation agreement which had been approved for ratification, the Agreement to Implement Visa Exemptions for Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders, and the Basic Agreement on Border Arrangements.
Apart from that, said Tkatchenko, Papua New Guinea also wants to strengthen cooperation between state-owned enterprises of the two countries in the development of energy, mining, oil and electricity, which he calls strategic areas to boost the economy.
Tkatchenko also emphasized that the government of Papua New Guinea, under the leadership of Prime Minister James Marape, has a different approach compared to previous administrations, and is determined to strengthen its relationship with Indonesia.
“And we look forward to the visit of the Indonesian President in Papua New Guinea in the coming months. We want to ensure that when the (Indonesian) President arrives, we already have an agreement to ratify and sign the cooperation for the benefit of both countries,” he said.
“We have seen Indonesia as a very strategic partner, a very strong partner, our traditional partner, and we look forward to continuing this present relationship into the future,” said Tkatchenko, adding.
The meeting between the two foreign ministers was the fourth time in four months, since they last met on the sidelines of the Indonesia-Pacific Forum for Development (IPFD), the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum, and the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) in Bali on December 2022.
On the same day, the two foreign ministers had a leisurely walk at the Bogor Botanical Gardens, where they exchanged views and discussed various issues of mutual concern. (mhn/bbs)
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