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Papua New Guinea's Cabinet has not yet authorized a proposed defense treaty with Australia, with members absent from meetings as they returned to their homelands to celebrate the nation's 50th independence anniversary, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed Tuesday.
Speaking from Port Moresby during PNG's Golden Jubilee celebrations, Albanese dismissed concerns about the delay, attributing it to the festive atmosphere surrounding the historic milestone.
"They're all off celebrating," Albanese told Sky News. "They all went to their respective homelands. And so they didn't have quorum at the cabinet meeting. And that's understandable. This is about celebrating."
The Australian Prime Minister expressed confidence the treaty would proceed, despite reports that PNG Prime Minister James Marape's Cabinet had not yet provided formal authorization for the bilateral agreement.
"Not at all" worried about the delay, Albanese said when asked about concerns. "Prime Minister Marape is very supportive. A lot of work has gone on to it. Billy, of course, the Defence Minister, made announcements over the weekend as well."
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The defense agreement represents a significant milestone in Australia-PNG relations, with Albanese describing it as addressing "mutual security" and "mutual sovereignty" between the neighboring nations.
"This is about our mutual security. This is about our mutual sovereignty as well, showing respect for each other," Albanese said. "And it's a natural progression of how closely we work together."
The Prime Minister referenced existing military cooperation, noting Australian forces currently help train PNG military personnel in Wewak, continuing a relationship dating to World War II's Kokoda campaign.
"On my first visit here, I went up to Wiwak. And there you had Australian military helping to train PNG," Albanese said. "And it's a relationship that goes back, of course, to the Second World War with Kokoda and that incredible story of the defence of Australia and the defence of PNG."
During his visit, Albanese announced Australia would fund construction of a new parliamentary wing in PNG, supporting the growing democracy's infrastructure needs.
"What they want is a ministerial wing as well so that you can have government services right here where parliament is," Albanese explained. "They've continued to grow. It's a country now of, they're not sure exactly what the population is, they know it's at least 10 million and it's a country that's continuing to develop."
The Australian leader praised PNG's democratic achievements, highlighting the nation's extraordinary diversity as it marks five decades of independence.
"There's a strong democracy. There's a thousand tribes here, 800 languages. Think about that. Not dialects, 800 languages," Albanese said. "There's very different cultures and, you know, the highlands is very different from down on the plains or around the coastlines."
Albanese drew contrasts between PNG's isolated tribal development and Australia's Indigenous history, noting different patterns of cultural exchange.
"For many of those tribes, they were very isolated. They didn't have that contact with each other. Whereas our culture, First Nations people going back, there was a lot more exchange and people moving around," he said.
The Prime Minister commemorated the peaceful transition to independence 50 years ago, crediting the Whitlam government's support for PNG's sovereignty.
"I thought it was a very significant moment today when the Prime Minister spoke about the flag being lowered, not torn down, of Australia," Albanese said. "And that happened 50 years ago. It was a peaceful transition. The Whitlam government supported it, part of Gough Whitlam's legacy that is so important."
Albanese recalled former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's declaration that Australia "won't be fully free until PNG is free," describing current relations as fulfilling that vision.
The celebration has drawn international attention, with leaders from across the Pacific and beyond attending the anniversary events.
"You have the Assistant Secretary of State from the United States. You have His Royal Highness Prince Edward representing the royal family. You have people gathered from everywhere here," Albanese said.
When questioned about climate policy and domestic political challenges, Albanese defended his government's approach while acknowledging economic concerns.
"We need to listen to the science and we need to listen to households," he said, citing government cost-of-living measures including energy rebates and student debt relief that opposition parties have opposed.
The Prime Minister pointed to recent extreme weather events as evidence of climate change's economic impact, including floods, bushfires and unusual cyclone activity along Australia's coast.
"The cost of the floods, the algal bloom we're seeing in South Australia at the moment, the impact that's having on the seafood industry, the floods on the mid-north coast, the bushfires, the cyclones off the coast of the Gold Coast and New South Wales North Coast," Albanese said.
Evening celebrations were planned to showcase PNG's cultural diversity, with Albanese describing the upcoming events as "a cracker" and "a celebration of the diversity that is this great nation."
The parliamentary expansion project represents Australia's continued investment in PNG's democratic institutions, with Albanese noting he was the first foreign leader to address PNG's parliament after his 2022 election.
"One really tangible way of celebrating the 50th anniversary is for Australia to assist with building the democracy, literally the building that will help to house the democracy," he said.
The defense treaty delay appears procedural rather than substantive, with both nations' leaders expressing strong support for deepening security cooperation as PNG enters its sixth decade of independence.
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