MINISTER for Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko (pictured) has described recent Ukraine reference made by Member for Vanimo-Green Hon. Belden Namah as political point scoring, and shameful.
In a statement on Tuesday, Namah calls on Prime Minister James Marape to remove Minister Tkatchenko from Foreign Affairs Ministry, citing his diplomatic blunders and incompetence.
The Vanimo-Green MP said Minister Tkatchenko was wrong to have arranged a meeting of diplomatic missions in Port Moresby to discuss issues concerning the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
“Papua New Guinea cannot be used by foreign governments to make statements affecting their sovereign interests against another nation,” Namah said.
He said PNG’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been made known at the appropriate forum, which is the United Nations.
“Foreign Affairs Minister seems to lack the aptitude, the tact and the diplomatic skills to treat these issues with the sensitivity it deserves,” Namah said.
He therefore called on PM Marape to replace him (Tkatchenko) as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Minister Tkatchenko who got disappointed by Namah’s remarks said PNG made its stand on Ukraine known at the United Nations General Assembly in March 2022, hence the constant echoing of its moral support with like-minded nations to end the Russia-Ukraine war based on humanitarian grounds.
He said Namah’s initial question on Papua New Guinea’s Ukraine position is clearly political-point scoring all over again, under the cover of political correctness.
“According to the report from the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, reported deaths of Ukraine civilians is at over 10,000 since the start of the war on February 24, 2022 – over 500 of them children; and the Member chooses to use this to drive his political attack on myself.
“That is not honour; and as a former Military officer, where is the decency as a Papua New Guinean,” Minister Tkatchenko said.
He added that last week’s collective stand by heads of foreign missions in the country – spearheaded by French Ambassador Guillaume Lemoine with support from fellow foreign heads of missions is consistent with the United Nations Charter.
“The united stand by the foreign heads of missions respect the standing international rule of law; nations who want peace, and nations who want to live in peace in a coexistent environment where there is predictability and observance of good citizenship in the global community.
“These nations have banded together since the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
“They have banded together to call for the unconditional cessation of aggression and the withdrawal of Russian troops in Ukraine.
“The meeting was nothing to do with each nation standing on its own and talking about their own national interests.
“This united stand is about the global community, and about the family of nations calling for peace.
“Our support for the coalition of like-minded nations amplifies our own position – that observance and adherence to international law is critical and paramount to small nations like PNG, and Ukraine.”
“Our moral support is for an end to the conflict.
“Standing together and binding together for a common cause is to demonstrate that should this happen to PNG, we will also expect such a coalition of nations, to stand for us and voice their positions and our concerns in a time of war,” Minister Tkatchenko said.
