PNG hands over ACP chair

PAPUA New Guinea formally handed the chairmanship of the committee of ambassadors to the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) to Gambia on Tuesday.
The outgoing chair was PNG’s ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Joshua Kalinoe, who served as chairman since August last year.
ACP general secretary Dr Patrick Gomes commended Kalinoe for his leadership and the ability to be available whenever he was required to by the ACP secretariat.
“Some of the policy and operational decisions achieved under Kalinoe’s chairmanship includes the finalisation and adoption of the review of the George Town Agreement that set up the ACP group of states,” Gomes said.
“The review is consistent with the ACP leaders meeting in Port Moresby, 2016, on the ‘ACP We Want’ and the establishment of the ACP Endowment and Trust Fund.”
Gomes commended PNG’s effort in the process of dialoguing with several developing countries to forge economic and development cooperation arrangements with them and the 79 ACP group of states.