Prime Minister Hon. James Marape met with Indonesia’s newly inaugurated President, H.E. Prabowo Subianto, in Jakarta on Sunday night, just hours after the President’s official swearing-in. The bilateral meeting was held at the Presidential Palace, where both leaders discussed the future of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea relationship.
“President Subianto and I had a very good bilateral meeting on behalf of our countries,” Prime Minister Marape stated. He was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Justin Tkatchenko and Defence Minister Hon. Billy Joseph.
“Papua New Guinea was given the extraordinary privilege of having a meeting with the Indonesian President. We talked on how Indonesia-PNG relations have progressed under my leadership, first with former President Joko Widodo and continuing now with President Subianto,” Prime Minister Marape said.He further highlighted discussions on broadening the scope of cooperation between the two neighboring nations. “We talked on how we can further strengthen this relationship over a broader spectrum of areas.”
Prime Minister Marape also emphasised the importance of learning from Indonesia’s economic success, noting, “Indonesia is a country PNG can learn so much from, especially about economic growth, and we look forward to a brighter future in Indonesia-PNG relations under President Subianto.”
Background on Indonesia-PNG Relations
Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have shared a strong diplomatic relationship since PNG’s independence in 1975. The two countries are bound by a common border and cooperate in areas such as trade, security, and education. Indonesia’s growing economy and its significant influence in the Pacific make it an important regional partner for PNG. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Marape, relations with Indonesia have deepened, with ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration in economic development, defense, and border management.
This meeting marks a continuation of these efforts, setting the stage for further strengthening ties between the two nations under President Subianto’s leadership.