Raminai praises Gold Coast ties

Sports Vice-Minister Wesley Raminai has extended his appreciation to Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate for continuing to see value in the Australian city’s relationship with Papua New Guinea.
Raminai, pictured, was responding to a thank you letter from the Tate following his visit to the Gold Coast in April, which coincided with the Commonwealth Games.
“On behalf of Gold Coast, it gives me great pleasure to thank you for visiting the city during the Commonwealth Games,” Tate said in the letter.
“I hope you had the chance to experience the best the Gold Coast has to offer, and created many memories to share with your family, friends and colleagues on your return home.”
Tate said the hosting of the Games “was a proud moment for our city as we welcomed people from across the globe to share in this event and learn more about the unique opportunities this destination has to offer”.
“I am extremely proud of the strong relationships that developed between the city and the Papua New Guinea Government through the PNG Sports Foundation,” he said.
“The memorandum of understanding originally signed between the parties in April 2015 has provided the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship to be achieved in the areas of high performance sport and sport development initiatives.”
Tate was making reference to a MOU which Prime Minister Peter O’Neill signed in 2015.
“By re-signing this agreement during the Games, this demonstrated both parties value the relationship and are committed to furthering this relationship into the future.
“You demonstrated the strength of our partnership and solidarity by the gift you gave me, a signed 2017 PNG Rugby League World Cup jersey owned by the late Kato Ottio.
“I understand the passion for rugby league within PNG and the significance of Kato Ottio’s jersey. My gift to you was a boomerang, with its significance inviting you to return to the Gold Coast in the near future.
“The city looks forward to continuing our partnership. I am proud of what the Gold Coast has to offer and I am very excited for our future.
“I wish you every success and encourage you to visit the Gold Coast again soon.”
Raminai led a small delegation to Gold Coast which included PNG Sports Foundation (PNGSF) chief executive Peter Tsiamalili Jr, High Performance director Aaron Alsop and PNGSF venue management chief operating officer David Aua.
Raminai the MOU paved the way for future cooperation between the two countries.
“It is crucial that these opportunities are maximised, especially for us as a developing country,” Raminai said.
The MOU while focusing primarily on sports, covers other opportunities like education and “it is up to us to be pro-active and work hard to get as much value as we can from such relationships”.