ABG focuses on growth

ESTABLISHING relations with development partners remains a priority for Bougainville to increase economic and infrastructure development in the region.
Autonomous Bouganville Government President Ishmael Toroama met with several important development partners during his first official visit to Port Moresby recently.
The meeting was to strengthen relations and to familiarise the new president with respective foreign missions who were important as Bouganville’s development partners.
In meeting the head of missions in PNG, Toroama said they expressed interest in continuing their support for Bougainville.
He said the relations with development partners would be maintained through the parameters of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
The focus of these relations will be on development aid and not on furthering Bougainville’s political aspirations.
ABG President Toroama met with the US Ambassador Erin Mckee, Australian High Commissioner Jon Philp, Chinese Ambassador Xue Bing, European Union Ambassador Ioannis Giogkarakis Argyropoulos, and the Japanese diplomatic staff as ambassador Kuniyuki Nakahara was in isolation.
“I am convinced of the need for an overall aid coordination strategy within which Bougainville’s donor priorities will be articulated,” Toroama said.
“Such aid strategy must be rooted to my government’s six-point strategy on Bougainville’s development and political journey.”