PNG is Indonesia's Strategic Partner in the Pacific: Jokowi

Port Moresby: President Joko Widodo said Indonesia committed to increasing cooperation with Pacific countries including Papua New Guinea (PNG). The President said that PNG is a close neighbor, as well as Indonesia's strategic partner.
 
Therefore, the two countries have prepared a road map for development cooperation for the next five years. This was conveyed by the president when giving a press statement with PNG Prime Minister James Marape, at APEC Haus, PNG, Wednesday 5 July 2023.
 
"Since last year's visit a lot of progress has been made, signing and ratifying a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as well as opening activities at the border," Jokowi said as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube page, Wednesday 5 July 2023.

The two countries, Jokowi added, agreed to increase economic cooperation through trade. The President said trade between Indonesia and PNG would increase sharply in 2022 to reach USD307 million.
 
"This needs to be continuously improved by encouraging the continuation of BTA (business trade agreement) discussions, forming a business council and visiting trade and investment missions," said the president.
 
Indonesia is also participating through State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) in the construction of roads in PNG as part of the connectivity between the two countries. Jokowi welcomed the opening of the PNG Express shipping route and the Citilink Denpasar-Moresby logging route as well as the ratification of the basic agreement of border arrangement and the reopening of the Skouw-Wutung crossing post.
 
Regarding Indo-Pacific cooperation, the president expressed his commitment to increase Indonesia's and ASEAN's engagement with the Pacific, including inviting Pacific representatives to the East Asia Summit and holding the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum.
 
Indonesia and PNG are two big countries from the global south, so according to him it is time for these countries to support each other to improve people's welfare, including in the management of natural resources.
 
Indonesia, explained Jokowi, will soon begin renovating hospital facilities in Port Moresby, building firefighters posts, waste management at Vanimo, as well as building schools in Wutung and increasing scholarships for PNG students.
 
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