Port Moresby, PNG (ANTARA News)- The Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has supported Indonesia to get the status of associative member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and later become a full member in due course of time.

Indonesias application to become a full MSG member was being processed, and thereafter, the way to obtain the full membership status would be opened, PNG Foreign and Immigration Minister Rimbink Pato informed Rahmad Nasution of ANTARA, here, Friday, following a bilateral meeting with the Indonesian delegation led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

PNG will host the 21st Summit of the MSG in 2017. During its 20th Summit held in Honiara in the Solomon Islands on June 26, 2015, Indonesia had obtained the associative member status.

At the bilateral meeting, Pato stated that the constructive and open talks covered various cooperation opportunities including in the fields of economy, investment, trade, and energy, particularly LNG, and flights connecting the two neighboring countries.

They also discussed cooperation between the two nations police and military, especially to guard the border areas.

PNG, which will host an APEC Summit in 2018, is eager to take a cue from Indonesia on ways to organize a major international meeting.

According to Pato, the two countries have signed 11 memoranda of understanding and three agreements to strengthen bilateral partnership based on mutual respect.

"We will also learn from Indonesias rich experiences in democracy, and we (PNG and Indonesia) will move together and work in tandem," noted Pato, who was accompanied by PNG Trade Minister Richard Mare and National Development Planning Minister Charles Abe.

In the meantime, Head of the Indonesian Delegation Minister Pandjaitan remarked that the two delegations also discussed cooperation in immigration affairs, trade, and the development of the palm oil industry.

"The Indonesian trade ministrys delegation and business mission will visit PNG in late April this year. Our relations are becoming closer," Pandjaitan affirmed.

At the invitation of PNG Prime Minister Peter ONeill, President Joko Widodo visited Port Moresby on May 11-12, 2015, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in economic, trade, investment, and infrastructure construction fields.

The two leaders also agreed to increase the value of bilateral trade beyond trading activities in the border areas that reaches US$4.5 million per year.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016