PM returns from Australia: This is the start of a new relationship

Posted on The National

PRIME Minister James Marape has described his first official state visit to Australia as a successful one.
Marape, who arrived from Australia yesterday afternoon, said the people and the government of Australia received the PNG state delegation well.
He said PNG and Australia shared a border and a shared history.
He said with the dormant policy of “Friends to all – enemy to none”, Australia remained PNG’s closest friends and number one bilateral partner in terms of government to government and people to people exchanges.
Marape said in that regard, Prime Minister Scott Morrison invited him to visit Australia.
He said the gesture was the start of a new relationship that was expected to see the way minister to minister exchanges and those among government officials.
He said those meetings would elevate relations between the countries in the 21st Century to an improved state across a wide range of areas particularly, trade.
He said there was a trade imbalance between the two countries with Australia extracting more benefits than PNG.
That fact was discussed during the visit with the aim to have a comprehensive strategic economic partnership.
Marape said the framework entailed how the two economies could work together to address and allow for free trade including, labour mobility.
He said in terms of labour mobility, instead of sessional fruit picking, they had discussed how Australia could look at investing in the technical vocation education to equip people to participate in skills schemes.
Marape said he and Morrison had several discussions based on key achievable outcomes.
He said their meeting would set the basis for the minister to minister meeting to be hosted in Aug this year.
He said the Manus detention centre and asylum seekers and the naval base was among the issues discussed with Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin.
The discussions also involved making travel easier between the two countries.

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