By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
SOLOMON Island Government will need Papua New Guinea Government’s help to host the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara which includes Royal PNG Constabulary (RPNGC) officers for security operations.
They will need PNG Government assistance to host the Games in November due to the PNG Government’s experiences in hosting the 2015 Pacific Games and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) Summit in 2018. Both big international events were hosted in Port Moresby.
And assistance will also include the deployment of members of the RPNGC to help Royal Solomon Island Constabulary boost security operation for the Games.
Solomon Island High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency William Soaki said the Solomon Islands Government will formally request from PNG Government through RPNGC to provide additional security support during the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara.
The details on this and other security related arrangement will be further discussed between the respective Police Commissioners of both countries in due course. The ‘Agreement on the Deployment of PNG Police Force Personnel to Solomon Islands’ that was signed last Wednesday (08th February 2023) by the PNG Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Justin Tkatchenko and Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs & External Trade Minister, Hon Jeremiah Manele, now provides a framework for any future security assistance”.
Meanwhile Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs & External Trade Minister, Hon Jeremiah Manele said during the signing of the Agreement last Wednesday that “as the host country for the 2023 Pacific Games, I take this time to thank PNG for contributing and supporting in the construction and providing of building materials for our Games infrastructure, you (PNG) continue to invest in our nation building and building institutions that contributes to unify our cultural and diverse population. Of course, we will like your contribution in your experiences in hosting the 2015 Pacific Games. And I know Minister Tkatchenko himself was the Sports Minister when PNG hosted the Games. Also, your companies and business houses in Solomon Island created jobs and raise incomes for our people. And so, we look forward to welcome more PNG investment in Solomon Island.
The Games will be the biggest sporting event that will be hosted in Solomon Island. We look forward in welcoming people of PNG to Solomon Island in November this year”.
Mr Manele said that Solomon Island is proud to have PNG as their neighbor “I’m here as a closest neighbor that is connected by geography, culture and blood. I also recognize the special relationship that exists between our two countries that is forged in the unity together in spirit and always looking out for one and other”.
Mr Manele said that he has a special relationship with PNG as he was educated by the PNG Government as a student in PNG’s tertiary institutions between 1988 and 2001.
Meanwhile PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko said that he is more than willing to help organize the Pacific Games in Honiara.
“In fact, the three of us (including PNG Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili and RPNGC Commissioner David Manning) now here for the Agreement signing were heavily involved in PNG hosting the Pacific Games in Port Moresby in 2015. I was the Sports Minister, Tsiamalili Jnr was the PNG Sports Commission Executive Director and Mr Manning then an Assistant Police Commissioner was the security planner and oversaw the security operations of the games.”
