Australia and Papua New Guinea have agreed on a new treaty, establishing a mutual defence alliance in the face of a complex regional security landscape.
Prime ministers Anthony Albanese and James Marape met in Canberra on Monday to sign the Pukpuk Treaty, five days after it got the nod from Papua New Guinea’s Cabinet.
The signing was initially scheduled for two weeks ago, coinciding with Albanese’s visit to Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Day celebrations, but was delayed due to procedural matters.
The treaty needs to be ratified by the two countries’ parliaments for it to take effect.
New chapter of defence relations
The Pukpuk Treaty, derived from the Tok Pisin word for crocodile, obliges the two neighbours to support each other in the event of an armed attack.
The agreement paves the way for more joint military exercises and the recruitment of Papua New Guineans into the Australian Defence Forces, as well as granting Australian troops access to the Melanesian country’s military facilities.
It also commits that “any activities with third parties shall not compromise the purposes” of the treaty, in a subtle swipe at China’s expanding influence in the South Pacific.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: UN launches AI governance bodies to address regulation
‘Historic moment’
The agreement is Canberra’s second alliance after the 1951 ANZUS Treaty between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, and Papua New Guinea’s first with any country.
It also comes on the heels of the Defence Co-operation Agreement signed between Papua New Guinea and the United States in 2023.
Albanese hailed the signing of the Pukpuk Treaty as a “historic moment” for the two countries, whose diplomatic relations span more than 50 years.
“Our Alliance is built on generations of mutual trust and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the Pacific remains peaceful, stable, and prosperous,” he said at a press briefing in the Australian capital.
“By continuing to build our security relationships in the region, we safeguard our own security.”
PNG’s neutral foreign policy
Marape also welcomed the treaty, while affirming his country’s “friends to all, enemy to none” foreign policy.
Speaking to reporters, he said the treaty reflects the close, longstanding relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea, adding that it is in no way targeting any other country.
“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,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.
“It is about one bigger fence that secures two houses that have their own yard space.”
READ NEXT: International news: Bangladesh feels election atmosphere as polls near
Shameeka Voyiya 
Lucia Caporalini 
Kamille Q. Cabreza