Australia has signed a new defence agreement with Papua New Guinea, its first in more than 70 years, as Canberra moves to counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific region.
Under the Pukpuk Defence Treaty, the first of its kind for Papua New Guinea, both nations are committed to assisting each other in the event of an external attack.
“This is a historic agreement,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a press briefing in Canberra. “By continuing to build our security relationships in the region, we safeguard our own security.”
The treaty also allows up to 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve in the Australian Defence Force under dual arrangements. Albanese noted that both countries have agreed “not to undertake any activities or enter into any agreements that would compromise the implementation of this Treaty.”
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Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape, whose cabinet approved the agreement last week, described the treaty as one rooted in shared history and geography.
“This Treaty was not conceived out of geopolitics or any other reason, but out of geography, history and the enduring reality of our shared neighbourhood,” Marape said.
He added that despite the new defence pact, Papua New Guinea will maintain diplomatic and economic ties with China and other nations.
The agreement, named Pukpuk meaning crocodile in Tok Pisin marks a significant milestone in regional defence cooperation between the two Pacific neighbours.
