By MARIE KITAWA
UPNG JOURNALISM STUDENT
PAPUA New Guinea and Indonesia will be working in partnership under the Basic Boarder Agreement (BBA) and Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA)to secure sovereignty issues including joint border patrols.
Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discussed this during a recent bilateral meeting in Bali, Indonesia.
The two ministers talked about their relationship in the region with Indonesia being the biggest and closest neighbour to Papua New Guinea.
With regards to PNG sharing the largest inland border with Indonesia, both leaders also discussed in detail the Basic Border and Defence Cooperation Agreements which need to be ratified by PNG.
“I assured Minister Marsudi that the DCA signed in 2010 and the BBA signed in 2013 would be ratified respectively in due course by the Government of PNG and that this issue will not be delayed any longer,’’ Minister Tkatchenko said.
He said it is all about the two countries co-existing together with their security forces working together in partnership and also securing the different sovereignty issues faced by both countries.
Tkatchenko said this will solidify, secure and leave a very positive foundation for PNG to move forward with its relationship with Indonesia.
Both Foreign Ministers were part of the leaders that met for the 4th Archipelagic Islands State Ministerial Forum in Bali, Indonesia.
