S.Korea keen to help with clean energy

By ISAAC NICHOLAS
SOUTH Korea is keen to help Papua New Guinea universities develop green technology mechanisms for clean energy.
Foreign Affairs Minister Don Polye said this on his return from the first Korea-Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers meeting in South Korea last week.
Polye described his bilateral talks with his South Korean counterpart as successful in paving the way forward in bilateral relations.
He said the foreign ministers meeting focused on climate change and Pacific Island nations’ relationship with South Korea.
Polye said the good news was that South Korea would upscale bilateral assistance to Pacific Island countries or upscale the Overseas Development Assistance to the region.
“I have given the assurance that the assistance from South Korea under the ODA must have impact on the community and the country,” Polye said.
He acknowledged the South Koreans had been helping in hydro electricity projects, roads and other infrastructure in the country.
Polye said during the discussions with his counterparts, he stressed the need for South Korean assistance to help out in other areas of business and trade and to work in strategic alliance with different countries.
He said PNG and South Korea would be signing an Investment Protection Agreement in September to promote investments and trade between the two countries.
Polye said that would Air Niugini to fly to South Korea and for Korean Airlines to fly direct to PNG.
He said discussions centred on Korean help to build one of the country’s “missing link” roads from Kerema to Aseki and Menyamya in Morobe.
“We will be putting a package together,” Polye said.
He said the second issue was on “green growth policy that is aimed at developing clean and green energy in terms of bio-fuel and LNG which are green energy”.
“Papua New Guinea must be prepared to look at green energy and PNG can achieve a lot with its resource potential in geo-thermal and LNG resources.”
Polye said he wrote to the Korean University and the Green Growth Institute to work with UPNG, Unitech and Divine Word University to develop a green policy for the country.
“I am happy with the successful outcome of the meetings. We will be meeting every three years to look at up-scaling benefits and package of the ODA.”