Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has met the Ambassador of Italy to Australia with accreditation in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, His Excellency Paolo Crudele.
H.E Crudele paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at his office at Melanesian Haus, Port Moresby on Thursday, 26 June 2025.
Papua New Guinea established diplomatic relations with Italy four years after Independence, on 30th April 1979, with their relations now focused on trade.
According to data provided by Italy and published in the Observatory of Economic Complexity, in the fourth quarter of 2024, Papua New Guinea’s exports to Italy valued at over K83 million (£21M) and imports were valued at over K12 million (£3.14M). Top exports from PNG to Italy are gold, processed fish and coffee, and top imports from Italy are gas turbines, iron pipes, tractors, washing and bottling machines, industrial fatty acids, oils and alcohol.
Prime Minister Marape thanked Mr Crudele for visiting Papua New Guinea to present his credentials to the Head of State and to pay a courtesy call on him at his office.
He then invited H.E Crudele to convey his invitation to Italian investors and businesses to invest in PNG, while highlighting the advantages in PNG’s access to Asian markets.
A pressing matter that was brought up during the meeting was the request from the Government of Italy for clemency on Italian citizen Carlos D’Attanasio, who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer and is now in palliative care. D’Attanasio is currently serving time in PNG after he was convicted and imprisoned by the PNG Court for drug-trafficking and money laundering. (D’Attanasio was imprisoned on two counts of concealing 28 bags of cocaine weighing 611kg, valued at K200 million – US$511,000 – in street value and money laundering.)
The Italian Government is seeking clemency to send him home to receive life-saving treat- ment without compromising the laws of Papua New Guinea.
Prime Minister Marape affirmed that D’Attanasio has the right to proper medical care and both governments would work on getting treatment organized for him but this must be done without compromising the laws of PNG.