SYDNEY (AP) 鈥 Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape on Thursday become the first Pacific leader to address Australia鈥檚 parliament, vowing 鈥渘othing will come in between our two countries.鈥
The nations announced that Australia will spend AU $100 million (US $65.3 million) on Papua New Guinea鈥檚 internal security, including the development of a police recruiting and investigation training facility and a police barracks.
The speech, Marape's meeting with Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, and the neighbors' release of details of signed in December, come as Pacific nations deal with China鈥檚 growing ambitions.
Resource-rich Papua New Guinea has rebuffed overtures from China, which struck a security pact with Solomon Islands in 2022 that caused worry among some in the region.
Papua New Guinea, which is in a strategically important part of the South Pacific, struggles with tribal violence and civil unrest and wants to increase its police numbers from 6,000 officers to 26,000. Anger over high unemployment and cost of living led to in its two biggest cities.
Papua New Guinea and Australia 鈥渞eaffirmed their commitment to the region鈥檚 existing security architecture as a key driver of security cooperation,鈥 a joint statement between Marape and Albanese said.
Papua New Guinea is a nation of mostly subsistence farmers where some 800 languages are spoken. With 10 million people, it is the most populous South Pacific nation after Australia, which is home to 26 million.
Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Marape鈥檚 historic speech elevated Australia鈥檚 relationship with the Pacific.
鈥淲e know that China is a great power asserting its interests,鈥 she told reporters. 鈥淲hat we are doing is reemphasizing our part in the Pacific family and the importance of that engagement.鈥
After last month鈥檚 civil unrest, a number of Papua New Guinea ministers resigned and an under-pressure Marape may soon face a vote of no confidence.
鈥淲e must become a strong country standing on our own two feet, economically independent and strong so we too can help Australia maintain democracy, preserve peace and ensure stability.... in our Pacific,鈥 he said in his speech.
