Marape in Indonesia for trade, bilateral talks

The National National
Prime Minister James Marape with his wife Rachael and the PNG delegation arriving in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday. – Picture supplied

PRIME Minister James Marape has flagged a possible partnership with Indonesia’s state owned petroleum corporation Pertamina as Papua New Guinea deals with the current surge in fuel prices.
Marape, who is in Indonesia with a delegation for trade talks, said he hoped to discuss such arrangements with Indonesian President Joko Widodo as PNG looked for alternative sources of fuel.
“I remain confident that our practical discussions and the culmination of the various memorandum of understandings that will be signed will greatly complement PNG’s future socio-economic agenda and reap tangible outcomes,” Marape said after his arrival in Jakarta yesterday.
Marape said his visit was at the invitation of Widodo and acknowledged that Indonesia and Australia were PNG’s closest bilateral partners.
“While I have made important strides in the PNG-Australia relationship, I hope to strengthen the PNG-Indonesian relationship,” he said.
Marape said apart from the usual discussions on traditional issues relating to border management and combating cross-border crime, drug smuggling and terrorism, the talks would focus on other strategic opportunities for the two countries.
“The traditional issues are important but these are the traditional bilateral issues which are recurring in nature.
“There is a place for those, but it is important that we use the opportunity to canvass other issues which are of strategic importance to us.”
Marape said the visit would focus on business, trade and investment opportunities and capacity building of human resources, among other practical and meaningful outcomes to complement PNG’s development aspirations.
Marape will address the PNG-Indonesia Business and Investment Seminar today where he is expected to invite Indonesian investors to develop downstream processing facilities in PNG to add value to its vast natural resources for export to Indonesia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other global markets.
Marape was accompanied by wife Rachael, four Ministers, one Governor, senior government officials, and a business delegation on this official visit who will engage in business and investment exchanges while Government officials progress sectoral issues with their Indonesian counterparts.
The delegation is expected to return home tomorrow.