King Charles to visit PNG

KING Charles III has agreed, although verbally for now, to attend Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations in 2025, according to Prime Minister James Marape.
“I made the verbal invitation to him to be our guest of honour at the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary, and he accepted,” Marape said.
“We will follow up with written invitation.”
Marape said he told King Charles: “I know you are a very busy man but if Your Majesty can be gracious enough to be with us in Papua New Guinea.”
He said King Charles responded: “That’s so kind of you. I shall see what I can do. I should have to brush up my Pidgin to make sure. But many, many thanks and my kindest thoughts and wishes to you. I absolutely love Papua New Guinea, which I hold very much in my heart.”
Marape passed on to King Charles the condolences of the people of Papua New Guinea on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Marape, in London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, met the reigning monarch at Buckingham Palace, describing their brief meeting as “warm and friendly”.
Marape said: “I thought he was warm and gracious.
“He accepted me into his presence with warmth, laughter and friendship.
“And I could feel his personal affinity to Papua New Guinea.
“He talked about the month (in 1966) he spent as a schoolboy in the country (Martyrs Memorial Secondary School in Oro), as well as his three other visits.
Marape appreciated the King’s recognition of PNG and Pacific islands nations as regards global warming and rising sea levels.
He said King Charles agreed that PNG must be “remunerated for the preservation of its trees by industrialised, big carbon-emitting countries” as a climate crisis mitigation strategy.
“His conversation with me was totally in line with my government policy.
“Forest conservation must not come at the expense of our people’s development aspirations,” he said.
“We are not just a climate change-affected nation but also have this important global asset of rainforests that need to be preserved, but at a price. And the King agreed with me.
“Global carbon emitters must put their money where their mouth is in terms of forest conservation efforts.”