Welcome to PNG, Mr Rudd
By HARLYNE JOKU
AUSTRALIAN prime minister Kevin Rudd arrives today on an official visit, and is expected to discuss a wide range of issues with his PNG counterpart Sir Michael Somare.
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister Sam Abal said told The National yesterday that this is the first such visit in 11 years, and it underlines the importance of the relationship between the two countries.
“The visit is an important statement by the Rudd government in terms of our relationship,” Mr Abal said. “It shows PNG is right back on the radar.”
Mr Rudd will land at the Jackson Airport at 10am on an Australian defence force jet. He will be welcomed by Mr Abal and singsing groups, and inspect a guard of honour before heading to Government House to meet the Governor-General.
A planned protest to be staged by 500 Koiari landowners over the Kokoda Track issue was aborted when the National Security Advisory Committee warned them against it, the president of the Koiari local level government Willie Wavi said yesterday.
Intelligence sources reported a foreigner was involved in instigating the protest, but the situation has been contained.
Mr Wavi said the landowners were to protest over the plan to block a proposed mine and move to list the area on the World Heritage listing.
Mr Rudd may also be presented with a petition from news organisations in PNG and other Pacific Islands regarding the deportation of Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter.
The news organisations are expected to press Mr Rudd to oust members of the Fiji military from Ramsi duties in the Solomon Islands.
As of last night, discussions were still underway among news organisation from the Solomon Islands, Samoa and PNG to finalise the petition.
PINA president and NBC managing director Joseph Ealadona is expected to present the petition or make known the position of the Pacific media if given the chance to speak to Mr Rudd.
Meanwhile, the Australian media reported yesterday that Mr Rudd would canvass support from PNG and the Solomon Islands to impose further sanctions against the Fijian military government including sports boycott to force rugby obsessed military leader Commodore Frank Bainamara to respect human rights and return the country to democratic rule.
After paying a courtesy call on the Sir Paulias Matane, Mr Rudd will meet Sir Michael and his cabinet ministers in a conference and later will meet Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta and his deputy Bart Philemon.
In the afternoon he will visit the Bomana War Cemetery to lay wreaths on the Cross of Sacrifice, and later attend a State dinner in his honour hosted by Sir Michael.
Tomorrow, Mr Rudd will attend a breakfast co-hosted by the Australian-PNG Business Council and the PNG Business Council in association with the Australian Alumni Association, before flying to Goroka to tour the Institute of Medical Research and meet with NGO’s including Save the Children and Appropriate Technology Projects.
Mr Rudd will later be escorted by the CEO of the Coffee Industry Corporation Ricky Mitio through a coffee-tree-to-cup display, and to view a traditional mumu.
He then visits Goroka Base Hospital, the Eastern Highlands provincial administration headquarters and the Daulo district administration before returning to Port Moresby.
He leaves Port Moresby early on Saturday morning for the Solomon Islands.
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