Australia-Papua New Guinea Annual Leaders' Dialogue

Prime Minister James Marape and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held the fifth Papua New Guinea-Australia Annual Leaders’ Dialogue on 8 February 2024 in Canberra.
Leaders acknowledged the cultural, historical and geographical bond that continues to build the closer connection between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership.
Prime Minister Marape thanked Prime Minister Albanese for the opportunity to address the Parliament of Australia, as the first Pacific island leader to do so. This returned the great honour Prime Minister Albanese received in delivering the first ever address by a foreign Head of Government to Papua New Guinea’s Parliament on 12 January 2023. Leaders acknowledged that, as near neighbours and equal partners, the doors of Australia’s and Papua New Guinea’s national Houses of Parliament are open to each other.
Leaders discussed progress in the bilateral security relationship, reflected in the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement on 7 December 2023, covering traditional security cooperation, as well as non-traditional security cooperation on climate change, cyber security, gender-based violence and critical infrastructure. Prime Minister Marape welcomed the announcement of a significant scale-up of Australia’s signature law and justice investment, the AUD100 million Australia-Papua New Guinea Law and Justice Partnership that covers the period 2024-2027, clearly reflecting Papua New Guinea’s focus on prioritising internal security. Following recent meetings between the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and Australian agencies on infrastructure needs, the Prime Ministers agreed to prioritise planning for a Police Recruit and Investigations Training Facility at Bomana, in addition to construction and refurbishing of police barracks across Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Marape reiterated Papua New Guinea’s commitment to make the Training Facility available to other Pacific police forces.
The Prime Ministers reaffirmed that both countries as equal partners, work in partnership to promote peace, prosperity and resilience, bilaterally and in the region. They reaffirmed their commitment to the region’s existing security architecture as a key driver of security cooperation, supported by regional meetings such as the Joint Heads of Pacific Security. Leaders recognised Papua New Guinea’s and Australia’s proud history of contributing to collective Pacific security responses, including in support of the Biketawa Declaration and Boe Declaration on Regional Security, demonstrated when personnel from both countries worked side by side at the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together on humanitarian and disaster relief in Papua New Guinea and the region. They looked forward to further platforms to build stronger regional response capabilities in consultation with other Pacific leaders, including in policing and through the Police Recruit and Investigations Training Facility, and the Pacific Response Group initiative.
The Prime Ministers acknowledged the strong record of bilateral defence cooperation and substantial progress in the last twelve months, including construction at the Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s (PNGDF) Lombrum Naval Base redevelopment, delivery of Papua New Guinea’s fourth Guardian-class Patrol Boat and two PAC 750 aircraft, and significant new joint exercises. They acknowledged the valuable support provided to local communities by the PNGDF and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) following natural disasters in both countries. Prime Ministers welcomed activities to grow interoperability and deepen links between Australia’s and Papua New Guinea’s military forces. Significant military exercises were continuing between forces following Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2023, including Exercise Paradise in Torres Strait in November 2023, the PNGDF’s inaugural participation in the RAAF’s Exercise Pitch Black and the second joint Exercise Wantok Warrior, both in 2024. The leaders also agreed closer cooperation on peacekeeping, including through joint training at the ADF Peace Operations Training Centre.
Leaders also welcomed enhanced cooperation on cyber security, including the ability to deploy Pacific Cyber Rapid Assistance for Pacific Incidents and Disasters (RAPID) teams in the event of a cyber security incident at the request of Papua New Guinea.
Leaders discussed Papua New Guinea’s fiscal sustainability and budget repair plans, including its International Monetary Fund (IMF) supported reform program. Prime Minister Marape welcomed Australia’s budget support program designed to help cushion Papua New Guinea’s budget shortfalls. Prime Minister Albanese welcomed Papua New Guinea’s transparency and commitment to its IMF program and reiterated Australia’s commitment to supporting Papua New Guinea’s budget repair efforts.
The Prime Ministers acknowledged the large number of Papua New Guineans who regularly travelled to Australia for business and family ties, and welcomed the benefits that two-way travel brought to both countries. Leaders agreed for Papua New Guinea to be a pilot country for a new streamlined, online lodgement arrangement for regular travellers to Australia. This new lodgement arrangement is anticipated to make the process of applying for a visa faster and easier for Papua New Guineans who are regular visitors to Australia. Furthermore, in recognition of their shared goal of improving mobility opportunities, leaders also welcomed Papua New Guinea’s agreement to participate in the new Pacific Engagement Visa program.
The Prime Ministers underlined the mutual benefits associated with labour mobility, and acknowledged Prime Minister Marape’s ambition to deploy 8,000 Papua New Guinean workers – as proposed in 2023 – under various labour mobility arrangements, including with Australia. Prime Minister Albanese welcomed Papua New Guinea’s strong uptake of the Aged Care Expansion program as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, focused on recruiting and upskilling workers in the aged care sector. Leaders also welcomed opportunities to expand the PALM scheme, including engagement with Australian employers to diversify the sectors recruiting Papua New Guinea workers, and pledged to take concrete steps to strengthen Papua New Guinea’s worker mobilisation and reintegration systems.
The Prime Ministers discussed the significance of boosting inclusive economic growth, resilient critical economic infrastructure, business ties, trade and investment between Papua New Guinea and Australia. This includes investments aimed at Papua New Guinea’s flagship Connect PNG Program. Leaders noted that Australia maintains around 40 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s national road network each year and welcomed joint work to rehabilitate key port assets prioritised in Papua New Guinea’s 30 Year Ports Infrastructure Master Plan, and build a reliable and affordable communications network. Leaders also noted the need to continue supporting agricultural production that maintains quality and supply to attract premium price at markets especially for organic products, as well as continued support for women in agriculture.
Leaders pledged to take action in response to Papua New Guinea’s needs for upgrades to critical energy assets and more reliable access to clean, green energy. Prime Minister Marape thanked Australia for providing a USD150 million grant and concessional loan package to Papua New Guinea to support the repair and upgrade of key energy assets including refurbishment of Ramu 1 hydropower station, the construction of a new transmission substation to improve power supply in Port Moresby, and improved metering financed by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific. Prime Minister Marape also welcomed Australia’s recent completion of the construction of two new solar farms in West Sepik and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. These will provide electricity to more than 50,000 households. Leaders look forward to continuing a pipeline of solar farms and household solar projects in 2024, including in Central, Madang and West New Britain Provinces. Australia, under its Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership, is also contributing to a new solar entrepreneurs partnership, which is expected to deliver rural renewable energy for up to 4,000 households in the Milne Bay and West New Britain Provinces.
Leaders committed to work together to tackle the impacts of climate change and welcomed its inclusion as an area of security cooperation under the Bilateral Security Agreement. Prime Minister Marape welcomed new Australian funding under PNG Climate FIRST (Finance Initiative for Resilience and Sustainable Transition), a partnership that will support Papua New Guinea to access climate finance, including from global funds and the private sector. Australia’s investment will support Papua New Guinea to coordinate investment proposals and attract financing for climate adaptation and mitigation. Leaders recognised the importance of Papua New Guinea’s tropical rainforests as a global carbon sink, and welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2023 aimed at deepening cooperation on sustainable forest management as they transition into a green economy.
The Prime Ministers welcomed the strong track record of collaboration between Papua New Guinea and Australia on improving health and education outcomes, including through delivering major initiatives such as the Partnerships for Improving Education Program, the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital Redevelopment, and extensive support for health services such as those aimed at tackling tuberculosis and malaria, and improving maternal and child health outcomes.
Leaders also reflected on the value of the Australia Awards program in strengthening people-to-people ties, and agreed to co-badge the Australia Awards as the Somare-Whitlam Awards in 2025 in honour of Papua New Guinea’s Independence leader and first Prime Minister, Great Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare, as well as Gough Whitlam AC QC, the Australian Prime Minister who supported Papua New Guinea’s transition to Independence in 1975. Leaders also agreed to task officials to develop an international relations short course on the Papua New Guinea-Australia relationship, which would foster a deeper understanding of our shared history in the next generation.
Leaders acknowledged Australia’s and Papua New Guinea’s shared love of sport, particularly rugby league, and welcomed the return of the Prime Minister’s XIII to Port Moresby in 2023 and the participation of the Papua New Guinea Pepes in the PacificAus Sports Netball Series. Leaders noted their shared aspiration for a Papua New Guinea franchise in the National Rugby League and National Rugby League Women’s Premiership, and looked forward to boosting Papua New Guinea’s high performance rugby league capability through a renewed partnership with the Queensland Rugby League under PacificAus Sports in 2024.
The Prime Ministers renewed their commitment to working together with the Pacific family and strengthening regional unity. They reaffirmed the importance of working through Pacific-led and owned regional architecture, and the critical role of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in driving the regional agenda, guided by the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its Implementation Plan. They agreed to promote transparent, inclusive decision making with regional partners through PIF processes while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of members, and committed to shaping a fit-for-purpose regional architecture to deliver on the ambitions of the 2050 Strategy.
The Prime Ministers committed to further strengthening the vital partnership between Papua New Guinea and Australia, including as both countries looked towards the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s Independence in 2025. As part of the anniversary, both governments would work together to establish a memorial to commemorate the role of Australian Kiaps (patrol officers) in Papua New Guinea’s nation-building. Leaders look forward to the ground breaking ceremony in Australia next year to memorialise Kiap contributions to Papua New Guinea.