Tourism, culture vital to revive ties: Envoy

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday December 2nd, 2014

 Tourism and culture are important to the revival of bilateral relations between PNG and Russia, the Russian Ambassador-Designate to PNG Mikhail Galuzin said.

He met members of the National Executive Council, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Boka Kondra, PNG Tourism Promotion Authority chief executive officer Peter Vincent, and National Museum and Art Gallery director Dr Andrew Moutu last week. 

The meeting was to discuss opportunities of mutual benefit in tourism and culture, and Russia’s readiness to ensure peace, security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and to stimulate the process of regional economic integration.   

“We asked the PNG Government to expedite a proposal to the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2013 by the Russian Government for inter-government visa exemption for nationals from our two countries to travel without hassle,” Galuzin said.

He expressed confidence in PNG’s preparation for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 2018.

Kondra said he would support each entity to ensure they were able to contact their Russian counterparts to discuss opportunities.

Galuzin was in Port Moresby last week and presented his credentials Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio.