EU aims to strengthen trade partnership with PNG and Pacific, says envoy

THE European Union (EU) aims to strengthen and increase its trade partnership with Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, says its ambassador to PNG Jernej Videtic.
Videtic said in Port Moresby yesterday that the EU-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which PNG signed in 2009 was about establishing free trade between parties.
The Europe-PNG Business Council, Investment Promotion Authority, National Trade Office and the Department of Commerce and Industry will, together with the Delegation of the European Union to PNG, hold a virtual second EU-PNG business, trade and investment conference next Monday and Tuesday.
“As a development-oriented free trade agreement, the EPA aims to establish a free trade between the parties, through progressive liberation, considering the specific needs and capacity constraints of the Pacific States,” he said.
“The parties look forward to, among other things, mainstreaming the trade aspects of sustainable development into respective policies.”
The first conference was held in Port Moresby in 2019 – a reaffirmation of the EU and PNG’s commitment to supporting the development of EU business, trade and investment in PNG, Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Timor-Leste.
“This event intends to build further on previous EU actions including the context of EPA implementation and technical assistance provided to the PNG Trade Policy.
“It will pave the way for further activities to promote EU-Pacific business, trade and investment.”
He said the conference was to build business contacts, find business opportunities and to foster new partners between the EU and PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Timor-Leste with particular attention to trade and investment aspects of sustainable development.