Visit to Papua New Guinea

I will travel to Papua New Guinea from 7 to 9 March to co-chair the 25th Australia–Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum in Madang, together with Papua New Guinea's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Hon Rimbink Pato MP.

I will be joined by an Australian delegation comprising the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Minister for Veterans Affairs, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and the Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. This ministerial representation underlines our comprehensive engagement with Papua New Guinea.

Australia and PNG enjoy a warm and enduring bilateral relationship based on close ties between our people. We have a shared interest in PNG's security and economic development: Australian business investments in PNG are worth nearly $18.4 billion, while the vast majority of Australia's exports and flights to north Asia transit Papua New Guinea's airspace and waters.

The Ministerial Forum will discuss a broad range of issues, including trade and investment, development, defence, border security and policing.

I will also co-chair the annual Australia–Papua New Guinea Business Dialogue where Ministers will join senior business representatives to discuss opportunities to increase trade and investment between our two countries.

While in Madang, I will celebrate International Women's Day at one of Papua New Guinea's leading universities with young PNG women who are forging careers in science, technology, and engineering.

Following the Ministerial Forum, I will travel to Lae, Papua New Guinea's second largest city, to open Australia's newest Consulate-General, meet with local business leaders and inspect progress on the redevelopment of the ANGAU hospital, Australia's largest development project in Papua New Guinea.