PNG Foreign Minister Pato Strengthens Papua New Guinea’s Bridging Role that Links Pacific Islands, Asia and Africa

The 60th Asian African Conference concluded last week in Indonesia with the Foreign Minister, Hon. Rimbink Pato MP, saying agreement was reached in a number of areas that are important to the nation, and utilises Papua New Guinea's position in the region."Papua New Guinea has a strategic role linking the Pacific Island states to the ongoing engagement between Asia and Africa," Foreign Minister Pato said after the conference.

"As the only country that is a member of Asian African Conference, APEC and the Pacific Islands Forum, our country is in a unique position as a bridge between these forums.

"The purpose of the Asian African Conference is to strengthening south-to-south cooperation, in other words, to enhance cooperation between developing countries.

"We are building on the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership that was signed at the Asian African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, ten years ago.

"Papua New Guinea is engaging with other countries to share information and work closer in areas including tourism, small and medium enterprises, food security and energy security.

"As our economy grows we need to be a party to this engagement so that we can learn from similar development experience around Asia and Africa, and where appropriate, we apply these in our Pacific Island nations."

The Foreign Minister called on all members to maintain consultation and to follow-up on commitments made at the Asian African Conference.

"Papua New Guinea urges all member states to make concerted efforts to implement the resolutions made at this conference to enable us develop a new spirit of South-south Cooperation and strategic partnership," Minister Pato said at the Ministerial Conference.

"Let's all continue to reaffirm our commitments to freedom, peace and security, respect for human rights, fundamental to which is adherence to the rule of law to building just and democratic societies for the world."

The conference was attended by representatives of 116 countries, accounting for more than half of the membership of the United Nations. These included the Prime Minister of Japan and the President of China, while the conference was hosted by Indonesia's President, Joko Widodo.

In closing the conference, President Widodo invited all representatives of Asian and African countries to maintain economic cooperation to increase the quality of life of their people.

"This is a revival voice of Asian-African nations that cannot be replaced by anyone," President Joko Widodo said at the conference.

"The Spirit of Bandung is to advance people's welfare. Therefore, we must cooperate."

While in Indonesia, the Foreign Minister also held a range of meetings with leaders and ministers in partner countries. These included the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Fiji, Sweden, Morocco, the Deputy Prime Ministers of South Korea, Thailand and Turkey, and a range of Asian and African Ambassadors.

The first Asian African Conference was held in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955 and marked a new beginning between developing countries working together to ensure peace and enhance prosperity in their countries and across the Asian and African regions.