We stand with the world, says PNG's Foreign Mininster Pato as he clarifies position on North Korea

Papua New Guinea’s position in condemning the actions of North Korea in relation to security issues on the Korean Peninsula as a member of the United Nations and global community, Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato says.

In response to Rabaul MP Dr Allan Marat’s question on nuclear policy, Pato said the position advanced by many nations against North Korea showed global concern.

“If the position that PNG is taking is construed to be that of the US’s or Australia’s or any of the friendly bilateral partners of our country, then we are not speaking to support them – rather we are taking a position that the world does,” he said.

“We are seeking to implement a number of resolutions of the United Nations Security Council as required for North Korea to undertake a programme of denuclearisation which it has not adhered to.”

Pato said that in pursuant of PNG’s foreign policy, which is under constant review, PNG Connect was the position that had been put which was a subject of further detail review.

Pato said that in the context of all of that, the policy was to connect the globalising world and it was important that PNG takes the position with the way the world was.

He said because the world was interconnected, PNG was not the way it was 42 years ago.

SOURCE: THE NATIONAL/PACNEWS