Visa, border talks held

VISAS and border protection were topics of discussion when Immigration and Border Security Minister Westly Nukundj met with Indonesian Ambassador Andriana Supandy on Monday.
Both leaders also discussed issues relating to border infrastructure development within the Covid-19 period and cooperation between the two nations post-Covid-19.
The meeting was a follow-up from earlier discussions between Prime Minister James Marape and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Nukundj reiterated the Government’s position on reaching an understanding with PNG’s closest neighbour on controlling the movement of people into PNG through the land border.
“Covid-19 is present in Indonesia and the chances of it being spread into PNG by land is very high,” Nukundj said.
He said the Government had security forces manning the border but both countries had to work together through an understanding to ensure that the virus did not spread to PNG.
Supandy thanked the PNG Government for its cooperation in ensuring that 24 Indonesians were repatriated back last month.