Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is scheduled to meet her counterpart from Papua New Guinea (PNG), Justin Tkatchenko, at the two countries' 4th Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), due to be held here, Wednesday.

Information on the scheduled meeting was delivered by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's Information and Media Director, Hartyo Harkomoyo, at a press briefing in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Tuesday.

At the JMC meeting, the two foreign ministers would discuss key issues related to bilateral ties between Indonesia and PNG, he remarked, adding that this year's JMC was hosted by PNG but held in Jayapura City.

ANTARA stated that the 3rd JMC meeting was hosted by Indonesia at the Foreign Ministry's Pancasila Building, Central Jakarta, on March 21, 2023.

At the meeting, the Indonesian and PNG foreign ministers discussed key issues related to trade, development, and Pacific cooperation.

Following the JMC meeting, Marsudi delivered a statement highlighting the importance of PNG for Indonesia, as it is the closest neighbor and a strategic partner in the Pacific region.

On July 5, 2023, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met PNG Prime Minister James Marape at the APEC Haus, Port Moresby, during which the two leaders reportedly agreed to the drafting of a roadmap for development cooperation for the next five years.

During the meeting, Jokowi echoed Indonesia's commitment to advancing cooperation with Pacific countries, including PNG.

Both leaders also discussed efforts to intensify economic cooperation between Indonesia and PNG. The president noted that the bilateral trade value in 2022 had surged to US$307 million. (INE) ​​​​​​
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Translator: Qadri P, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Atman Ahdiat
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