Papua New Guinea and Japan have signed and Exchange Notes on Official Security Assistance (OSA).
The OSA was signed by Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko and his Japanese counterpart, Takuma Miyaji.
The OSA provides heavy machinery amounting up to 400 million Yen (K11.6 million) to help strengthen PNG’S disaster relief and infrastructure development capabilities.
The equipment will be provided to the PNG Defense Force Engineering Battalion, based in Lae.
Mr Tkatchenko it was a historical grant aid signing for both countries in the area of military assistance.
“I thank the government and people of Japan. Japan is very efficient and we also have to be efficient and prepared to immediately progress negotiations and our process to ensure that we utilize this grant and immediately implement it.
“We must make sure that what we sign and what we agree is implemented immediately and not put on the shelves where it gathers dust and is forgotten,” Minister Tkatchenko said.
Minister Miyaji said Japan would work with PNG to support the efforts of the PNGDF to demonstrate their capabilities for national and regional security in the Pacific, including through the provision of OSA
“We expect that this will synergize with capacity building assistance concluded by the Japan Ground Self Defense Force as well as with the corporation activities carried out by Australia at the same location,” Minister Miyaji said.
“Over the past 50 years since independence, Japan and PNG have enjoyed our relationship as genuine Tomodachi(friends). To that end, I am committed to working even harder for further development of our bilateral relations. I sincerely appreciate your kind support.”
“I am pleased to visit Papua New Guinea, a country blessed with rich culture and beautiful nature, it is also for immerse joy to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations together”
He said the signing of the OSA during PNG’s 50th Independence Anniversary carried more significance for relations between the two nations.