Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for Papua New Guinea next week to engage kanohi ki te kanohi with partners and visit key development initiatives in the region.
Minister Mahuta says, “As we continue to reconnect Aotearoa New Zealand with the world, it is vital that we invest time and effort into strengthening our ties with partners, especially in our own Pacific region.”
Aotearoa New Zealand and Papua New Guinea share a warm and long-standing relationship and I look forward to reaffirming this in person with Prime Minister James Marape and the new Minister of Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko,” says Minister Mahuta
The Minister will meet with other political and community leaders, and attend a roundtable lunch with participants from the Political Leadership Academy for Women where the focus will be on gender equality and empowerment for women and girls.
Ms Mahuta also intends to visit agricultural projects that New Zealand has supported. Engaging with these will include travelling to Mt Hagen and hearing about peacebuilding work from the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross representatives.
The Minister will travel to Papua New Guinea on Monday 5 September, and return Thursday 8 September.
