Top US official arriving for defence talks

THE United States (US) Defence Secretary Lloyd James Austin is expected to arrive in Port Moresby today to discuss the next steps to take after the signing of the US-PNG Defence Cooperation Agreement.
It is his eighth official visit to the Indo-Pacific region.
According to the US embassy in Port Moresby, Austin is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister James Marape, Defence Minister Win Bakri Daki, defence secretary Hari John Akipe, and chief of the Defence Force Major-General Mark Goina.
He arrives on a military aircraft and will leave tomorrow for Australia.
A statement said the US-PNG defence agreement “reflects the partnership and shared values as Pacific countries, the importance of ensuring the security and prosperity of the region, and the shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Austin was sworn-in as Defence Secretary on Jan 22, 2021.
He is the principal assistant to the US president in all matters relating to the Department of Defence and serves on the National Security Council. Austin was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in Thomasville, Georgia.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the Infantry.
He holds a master of arts degree in counsellor education from Auburn University, and a Master of Business Management from Webster University.
He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.
His 41-year military career included command at the corps, division, battalion, and brigade levels.
Austin was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Seven years later, he assumed the duties of Commanding General of United States Forces in Iraq, overseeing all combat operations in the country.