Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was unable to finalize a crucial defense agreement with Papua New Guinea today, following his unsuccessful attempt to secure a deal with Vanuatu last week.
Mr Albanese had announced that the bilateral treaty with Papua New Guinea would be signed during his three-day visit to the capital of Port Moresby, ending today, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
But a Papua New Guinea cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday to endorse the treaty never took place.
Instead of signing the treaty, Mr Albanese and his counterpart James Marape released a statement today saying that the text had been agreed on and the document would be signed “following cabinet processes in both countries.”
Mr Albanese had similarly expected to sign a bilateral security and economic treaty during a visit to Vanuatu on September 9, but he left the country with an assurance that negotiations would continue.
Vanuatuan Prime Minister Jotham Napat said last week that there were concerns within his government that the treaty could limit the island nation’s ability to raise money for critical infrastructure from any third country, such as China.
Mr Albanese rejected a reporter’s suggestion today that he was trying to persuade countries to sign deals they were not ready for.
“Democracies aren’t the same as authoritarian regimes. They go through processes. We respect them,” he said.
“Processes are important and sovereignty’s important and we respect it and Papua New Guinea will go through its cabinet processes, but we have … agreed on the words in this treaty.”
Questioned by a reporter, Mr Marape said he was not concerned that China would use the delay to lobby his ministers to scuttle the treaty.
“Please, let’s give respect to China,” he said. “This [delay] is in no way, shape or form [because] Chinese have any hand in saying don’t do this, etc.”
Mr Marape declined to say whether all his ministers had agreed the treaty should go ahead, citing cabinet confidentiality, merely saying: “There is no sticking point."
The pact would make Papua New Guinea Australia’s third security alliance partner after the United States and New Zealand.
