Papua New Guinea is exploring potential job opportunities for retired police and military personnel, according to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. During the 53rd Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, he engaged in a bilateral discussion with PNG Prime Minister James Marape.
The two leaders, accompanied by their respective teams, spoke about reinstating Fiji’s diplomatic presence in PNG and collaborating on enhancing climate resilience across the region. Additionally, Mr. Rabuka highlighted the agenda item concerning a visit to Indonesia aimed at engaging in conversations about the situation in West Papua.
Last year, both Mr. Rabuka and Mr. Marape were designated as special envoys by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to discuss the West Papua situation with Indonesian officials. Mr. Rabuka remarked, “We were slated to visit Indonesia for talks, but we haven’t done that yet, so we need to inform the MSG leaders in our upcoming subregional meeting about our lack of visit to the President.”
He noted that the delay was partly due to elections in Indonesia, explaining that it may be more advantageous to converse with the new President rather than one nearing the end of their term. Furthermore, Mr. Rabuka stated that Fiji can provide PNG with personnel deployment opportunities through the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) for peacekeeping operations.
He also mentioned that the Black Rock training facilities are accessible to PNG personnel for joint operations training when necessary. In conclusion, Mr. Rabuka expressed that Fiji intends to offer increased cultural and educational opportunities to Papua New Guinea in the near future.