Opposition sees Apec meet helpful

HOSTING the Apec Summit will showcase PNG’s potential in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region and allow other Pacific Islands nations to participate, Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch says.
Pruaitch said PNG was likely to host people like US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Ji Ping, Japanese Prime Minister Shintaro Abe, Russian President Alexander Putin and 16 other heads of government.
“The Opposition supports an initiative that will showcase our cultural diversity and traditions, the nation’s agricultural and resource potential and our eagerness to participate in the growth and prosperity of this dynamic region,” Pruaitch said.
“The United States, China and Japan are respectively the first, second and third largest economies in the world, making up around 55 per cent of the world’s total estimated gross domestic product.
“They are home to corporations that are household names in every corner of the globe.
“Government agencies like the Tourist Promotion Authority and our national airline, Air Niugini, spend millions of kina promoting PNG and at Apec, they have opportunities that no amount of money can buy.”
Pruaitch said PNG had always done a remarkable job in hosting major international conferences and sporting events and he was confident the public would ensure that honoured Apec guests from abroad would be treated with the greatest of courtesy and respect during their visits to this country.
“This would also be the first time that PNG’s closest friends from among the Pacific Islands, including Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu would be able to participate in the Apec Summit at the invitation of PNG as host nation,” he said.
Pruiaitch noted that opportunities had already started rolling in, with 12 different Apec groups of government officials meeting presently in Port Moresby, creating unprecedented business for hotels and conference venues, many of which are fully booked out.