Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has thrown his full support behind Papua New Guinea’s participation in the 2025 World Expo in Osaka as he officially commissioned the six- month project in Japan Thursday night (06.03.25) at Parliament House.
The global event is a massive showcasing platform for countries’ products, produce, technology, services, and arts & culture both digitally and physically, and will be held in two venues in Japan. It is expected to attract up to 28 million visitors with over 160 countries already confirming their participation.
Prime Minister Marape, during a dinner event labelled ‘Osaka Night’ held at the State Function Room and attended by relevant ministers, government officials and members of the diplomatic corp, reaffirmed Government’s under- taking to support PNG’s participation, including reopening direct flights from Port Moresby to Narita during the length of the event.
He also confirmed his participation at the world event to support the PNG Pavilion and to discuss with Japanese leadership the formalization of an economic agreement between PNG and Japan to capture the 50-year partner- ship between the two countries.
Although the Prime Minister mentioned the reopening of Air Niugini service to Japan, he cautioned that relevant agencies such as State Enterprises and Tourism must work harder at making the route profitable as Government cannot keep subsidizing the costs of the flights just for the sake of keeping it open.
PM Marape also spoke strongly in support of PNG’s position in the region, especially in relation to the growing Asian market and PNG’s evolving status, even while it faces socio-economic challenges because of its diversity.
He said, “Our diversity makes it quite challenging and we might have a long road ahead of us, but our nation is prospering toward what has been foreseen by Somare and our founding fathers. We take our place in the Pacific seriously.
“We will use this expo to tell the world that we remain a free-market economy with a robust democracy; where our government continues to honour business contracts with our investors.
“We have LNG, food, raw resources, fisheries, forestry and we will use this opportunity to find markets in Japan or elsewhere in the world,
“In Osaka, we will anchor PNG as a place of investment, business, and recreation – a destination of choice,” said PM Marape.
The Prime Minister has also requested that Pacific brothers Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji who cannot build their own pavilion to be allowed room in the PNG Pavilion to also showcase their work.
The Osaka World Expo will run from April to October this year with one venue holding a digital exhibition in Osaka, and another venue as a commercial facility in Tokyo. The digital exhibition will showcase all ICT products and services which will be accessed in real-time across the world, while the commercial facility will showcase raw produce, processed products, tourism, mining and petroleum industries, investments opportunities and everything that needs to be showcased.
Besides the exposition, a two-day PNG-Japan Trade & Investment Conference will coincide with the event, to be held in Tokyo; as well as other meetings and events which will be held as part of the expo.
The Department of International Trade & Investment is spearheading this event with support from relevant government departments and agencies.
Already on board are the National Fisheries Authority, the National Cultural Commission, Investment Promotion Authority, Tourism Promotion Authority, PNG National Forest Authority, Kumul Minerals Holding Limited and Ela Motors.
The world expo is held every five years and is a large-scale event that also assists to transform host cities for years because of the length of the shows and the volume of people that participate both as exhibitors and viewers.