Qatar trip gives O’Neill chance to talk business

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill is in Qatar to discuss investment and development opportunities in the oil and gas sector in PNG, food production and processing, and the financial sector.
The two-day official visit is at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
During talks with Minister of Economy and Commerce Ahmed Bin Jassim Bin Mohammed Al-Thani in Doha, O’Neill said there were opportunities the two countries could pursue.
“Qatar has an economy that shares several economic synergies with Papua New Guinea, particularly in the oil and gas sector,” O’Neill said.
“Over the past decade, they have built a leading presence in the LNG sector and works with several of the same companies as PNG.
“While both of our countries are active in the market, there are opportunities to work together on technical issues. And there is the potential for investment.
“As our country prepares for the next LNG project, it is important for us to work with other countries and gain from their experience, as well as strengthen our collective positions.”
O’Neill said there was also interest in Qatar to be active in PNG’s expanding agricultural sector.
“Strengthening domestic food security in Papua New Guinea, as well as expanding our export markets, is essential for our country,” he said.
“We have such enormous potential in our agricultural sector, but we cannot do this alone. We need to be proactive in attracting foreign investment, as well as strengthening our technical capacity and skill levels.”