Anthony Albanese has drawn on Australia and Papua New Guinea’s shared values in a history-making speech to our nearest neighbour’s parliament.
The Prime Minister has grow to be the primary international chief ever to deal with the PNG parliament, telling native politicians this can be a decisive decade for peace, prosperity, unity and safety within the Indo-Pacific.
“Now, on the horizon, a world of opportunity awaits us,” he stated on Thursday.
“Because Australia and PNG are bound not just by a shared past and a shared border but by a common determination to shape our own futures.”
Mr Albanese is anticipated to advance a brand new bilateral safety treaty with PNG throughout this week’s go to, as Australia seems to counter Chinese affect within the Pacific.
He foreshadowed the signing of the settlement in his speech in Port Moresby, emphasising the necessity for a “family-first” strategy to regional safety.
He stated the 2 nations ought to deepen their defence ties and obtain a “swift conclusion” to negotiations on the treaty.
Mr Albanese stated the deal would underpin their joint efforts to deal with PNG’s “priority needs”, together with legislation and order challenges, strengthening the justice system and rule of legislation.
“(It will be) a treaty based on deep trust,” Mr Albanese stated.
“And a treaty that builds on the family-first approach to regional security.”
Mr Albanese talked up the 2 nations’ shut relationship and their shared historical past, describing them as “neighbours who stand with each other and help each other in times of need”.
He arrived in Port Moresby on Thursday morning (AEDT) and was pushed to parliament to provide his speech shortly after touching down within the PNG capital.
Dressed in a navy swimsuit, Mr Albanese donned a standard floral lei on the airport, the place he was greeted by a army guard.
The Australian and PNG flags flew side-by-side from poles arrange on the tarmac.
Mr Albanese’s journey to PNG comes after Australia signed a separate safety pact with Vanuatu final month.
Security is anticipated to dominate the agenda when Mr Albanese meets with PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape in Port Moresby after six months of stress within the Pacific over China’s rising affect within the area.
The Australian federal election in May was held not lengthy after China signed a controversial safety pact with Solomon Islands.
The deal sparked deep concern amongst Australia officers in regards to the prospect of Beijing increasing its army presence within the Pacific.
Since taking workplace, Mr Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have harassed that the “Pacific family” — which incorporates Australia and the smaller island nations — ought to be accountable for its personal safety.
Senator Wong has additionally visited a number of Pacific island nations and made implicit references to China throughout her diplomatic blitz of the area, saying Australia’s assist received’t include “strings attached”.
China was final yr unsuccessful in its bid to signal one other sweeping safety and commerce settlement with 10 different Pacific island nations.
But Mr Albanese’s journey to PNG comes within the wake of stories Beijing is funding a hospital in Port Moresby for the Pacific nation’s defence pressure.
China’s Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, informed reporters in Canberra on Tuesday that Beijing’s ambitions within the Pacific had been for peaceable improvement functions solely.
“There is no military intention. There is no geopolitical intention. There is no intention to set up so-called military bases,” he stated.
“Let’s turn the page over. It’s already over. Let’s focus more on co-operation — where we can do something substantive to help countries in the region.”
Mr Albanese’s go to to PNG would be the first time an Australian prime minister has travelled to the Pacific nation since 2018.
He rescheduled the journey after being recognized with Covid-19 earlier than he was as a consequence of embark on his unique go to in December.
