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Australia and Papua New Guinea have begun formal negotiations on a bilateral defence treaty.
Australian Department of Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty and PNG Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Elias Wohengu have convened this week to discuss the agreement.
The establishment of a bilateral defence treaty follows a prime ministerial announcement in December last year and updated agreement from defence ministers in February this year to enter into a defence arrangement.
“The lead negotiators also acknowledged that 2025 marks 50 years since PNG’s independence in 1975,” the Department of Defence said in a statement.
“The bond between the Australian Defence Force and PNG Defence Force has grown from strength to strength over the last 50 years as our forces further increase our interoperability.
“The vision of the PNG and Australian governments is that the defence treaty will expand and modernise the long-standing defence relationship between our two countries by maintaining and developing their individual and collective capacity and capability.
“The lead negotiators on the new defence treaty recognised the significance of commencing negotiations in Wewak, the home of PNG’s first prime minister, the Great Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare GCL, GCMG, CH, CF, SSI, KSG, PC; and the location of the last time PNG and Australian forces fought together in World War Two, noting the mnemonic backronym for ‘WEWAK’ means ‘we ended war at Kiarivu’.
“They acknowledged the seamless work of their two delegations and look forward to finalising the details of the treaty.”
