PM thanks European Union for partnership

PRIME Minister James Marape says the European Union (EU) continues to remain a strategic and an important development partner of Papua New Guinea.
Marape said PNG remained grateful to the EU and continued to enjoy mutually beneficial relations since 1977.
He made these remarks during his meeting with the EU resident representative Jernej Videtic, in Port Moresby, last Tuesday.
“Papua New Guinea is satisfied with the current state of relations, which continues to remain warm and friendly,” Marape said.
“During our fruitful discussions, we touched on our political and business council dialogues, the EU grant project in East Sepik and the European Development Fund.”
He said they also discussed the issues of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in PNG waters as well as the issue of Papua New Guineans obtaining Schengen visas to visit EU member countries.
“Most importantly, I expressed gratitude to the EU ambassador for the decision by them to financially support the response of the World Health Organisation to the pandemic in the Pacific, including PNG,” he said.
Marape said the PNG Government would seek the details of this financial support from the Pacific Islands Forum and for the current and sudden surge in the confirmed cases in PNG.
Marape also thanked the EU saying the offer of support came at a time when the country recently saw an increase in confirmed cases of the Covid-19.