O'Neill: PNG Government keen on Pacific support

Prime Minister O'Neill: PNG keen on Pacific support

Papua New Guinea will build a new Parliament house for the Pacific nation of Niue, Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill announced yesterday.

"The Government will provide US$2 million – K5m – for the construction in the capital Alofi,” Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill said after meeting with visiting Nuie Premier Toke Talagi in Port Moresby.

Niue is an island country about 2,400km northeast of New Zealand which has established diplomatic ties with PNG since 1994. Premier Talagi and his team were in PNG for two days at an invitation by Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill during the recent Pacific Islands meeting in Samoa.

Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill said PNG had an obligation to continue to strengthen the relationship among all its Pacific Island neighbours. And it also had the responsibility and obligation to continue to represent them in some of the global forums like the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, he said.

He said with the country’s ongoing economic development, PNG was expanding its regional support program to help other developing Pacific nations. "Niue and the rest of the Pacific can rest assured that we will represent the region well," he added.

"We must continue to be highly vocal on the issues that threaten the Pacific Island Nations, particularly in climate change and the fluctuations in energy prices and the transmission of communicable diseases. "We are aware of the importance of the fisheries sector to your economy, as it is to ours. We look forward to the development of that resource which is beneficial to the region as a whole," he told the Premier.

"The economic growth we are seeing in Papua New Guinea is bringing with it great opportunity for workers from around the region. "We would like to see more Niueans come to Papua New Guinea to work and gain skills, and transfer this knowledge back to Niue to further contribute to your country’s economic development.

"We seek your support for both countries to open up the labour markets and allow for freer labour mobility within the region. "This will enable our people, between our two countries and of course within our region to continue to enjoy employment and holidays freely without any difficulties,” Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill said. Premier Talagi was very thankful for the assistance from the PNG government.