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Australia, Papua New Guinea ink defence deal to bolster security

The security agreement between Australia and PNG stipulates that the two nations will engage in consultations in the event of a threat to peace in the Pacific or an external armed attack on either party.

AP

This security pact, which the Australian government signed with its closest neighbor Papua New Guinea on Thursday, aims to balance China's growing power in the Pacific region. / Photo: AP

Australia and neighbouring Papua New Guinea have signed a bilateral security agreement that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and counterpart James Marape said showed the closeness of the two nations. The deal signed on Thursday is designed to bolster Papua New Guinea's internal security through more assistance in policing, defence and the judiciary as the Pacific Islands' largest nation seeks to develop its economy. Amid strategic competition between China and the United States in the region, PNG signed a defence deal with the United States in May to upgrade its military bases, and is boosting trade ties with China.

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"Brother and Sister Nations"

PNG's judiciary, public service and borders were established by Australia before PNG became an independent nation 48 years ago, Marape said.

Marape told reporters on Thursday the security agreement with Australia showed they were "brother and sister nations", but added PNG would not pick sides and had a foreign policy of "friends to all".

"This is a comprehensive and historic agreement. It will make it easier for Australia to help PNG address its internal security needs," Albanese told a news conference in Canberra.

He paid tribute to the support PNG's population gave to Australian service members during World War Two, and said it was a defence relationship forged through sacrifice.

"For our interests going forward, we have no closer friends than Papua New Guinea," Albanese said.

"You have always given support to us. What happens up north of your borders has deep, deep shared effect, benefit, consequences, on our region," he added.

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'Pacific-Led Stability'

The text of the agreement says that enhancing PNG's capabilities contributes to "Pacific-led regional security and stability", and that the two nations will prioritise consultations with each other on PNG's need for security-related equipment, infrastructure and training. As China has sought to boost its security presence in the Pacific Islands, signing deals to equip and train police n Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, where it is a large infrastructure lender, Australia has said security should be provided by Pacific countries. Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday that a meeting of South Pacific defence ministers, including PNG, had agreed at a meeting in the French territory of New Caledonia to consider forming a Pacific Response Group to provide assistance in emergencies.