Prime Minister Hon. James Marape, MP, has thanked Japanese Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, H.E. Nobuyuki Watanabe, for arranging a fruitful meeting recently with Japanese Prime Minister Hon. Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Japan.
They met in Port Moresby on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, where PM Marape thanked the Ambassador, saying amongst the 191 countries which attended former Japanese PM late Shinzo Abe’s state funeral in Tokyo, PNG was one of the few countries to meet PM Kishida.
“This was a significant gesture demonstrating PNG’s important relations with Japan,” PM Marape said,
“PNG is satisfied with the current state of relations between our two countries since formalising diplomatic ties in 1975.”
He also expressed the Government’s intention to expand and strengthen the state of bilateral relations between both countries.
“There have been significant high-level visits by political leaders as well as senior government officials from both sides, and that needs to be encouraged with more of such visits in the future,” PM Marape said.
“Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and myself agreed to progress on medical and defense cooperation, including the port visit by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Kirisame to Port Moresby and Japan’s support for capacity building of the Papua New Guinea Defense Force’s Military Band and Engineers.
“On economic relations, including LNG projects, PNG is committed to remain a reliable supplier of gas towards meeting some of Japan’s energy needs, including support for Japanese companies continued and future participation in PNG’s new gas projects, including in the Papua LNG Project.”
“Japan is an important development partner of PNG through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the areas of technical cooperation projects, grant aid and Japanese development assistance loans in addressing economic infrastructure, improving social services and environment and climate change issues in PNG.”
PM Marape thanked the Government and the people of Japan for their continuous support to PNG’s development efforts, and in addressing key regional and international cooperation issues through the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM).
This include development of Nadzab Airport in Morobe, which will be opened next year, to international standard as well as education opportunities in Japan for young PNG people.
PM Marape said he would talk to Air Niugini about the possibility of restoring Japan-PNG flights.
He acknowledged Japan’s continued commitment and support to the Pacific Island countries.
PM Marape mentioned that PNG supported Japan at the United Nations General Assembly, saying Japan is PNG’s true friend and a genuine development partner.
