Pukpuk treaty commits the 2 neighbours to better army cooperation, though the textual content is but to be launched.
Printed On 6 Oct 2025
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG) James Marape have signed a mutual defence treaty in Canberra, with the leaders saying the textual content of the settlement might be obtainable quickly.
Marape informed reporters on Monday within the Australian capital that the treaty was drawn up “out of geography, historical past and the enduring actuality of our shared neighbourhood”.
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“It’s about one greater fence that secures two homes that has its personal yard area,” Marape mentioned, in accordance with the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC).
The Papua New Guinean chief disagreed that the pact was drawn up as a consequence of broader geopolitical points, in an obvious reference to the army pursuits of nations like China and the US within the Pacific area.
“This treaty was not conceived out of geopolitics or some other motive,” Marape mentioned.
“We keep friendships to all enemies, we advocate peace wherever we have interaction, in so far as overseas relations concern,” PNG’s chief added.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned that the treaty “makes very express” that there might be “interoperability” between the 2 neighbouring international locations’ “defence belongings”, including that “our biggest asset is our individuals”.
The ABC reported that this meant the 2 international locations would share the identical rights as present members of the 5 Eyes settlement, which Australia shares with Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US.
Marape’s workplace said last week that the settlement will create a path for 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve within the Australian Defence Pressure, as his nation additionally goals to construct up its personal defence pressure to 7,000 troops.
Papua New Guinea has a inhabitants of some 12 million individuals, of which about 40 p.c stay below the poverty line, in stark distinction to its richer neighbour, Australia.
The signing of the Pukpuk treaty comes weeks after Papua New Guinea celebrated 50 years of independence from Australia, which assumed management of its northern neighbour as a colonial energy in 1902, after each international locations had been colonised by the UK.
In August 2013, Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with Papua New Guinea, which noticed hundreds of migrants arriving in Australia by boat detained on Manus Island in offshore detention.
The controversial detention centre closed in 2017, leaving a whole bunch of refugees stranded.
Australia can also be searching for to signal a safety settlement with Fiji, after an analogous settlement protecting each safety and local weather change with Vanuatu stalled last month.
Australia additionally not too long ago signed a landmark treaty with Tuvalu, the world’s first settlement providing visas to assist individuals going through displacement as a result of local weather disaster to resettle.
Local weather change stays a key safety concern for a lot of international locations within the area, with Australia bidding to host the 2026 UN COP local weather change assembly, alongside its Pacific neighbours.
The bid has but to materialise as Turkiye can also be formally campaigning to host the identical assembly.
