A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers visited Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from August 10 to 12 to meet with government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives. The delegation included Senator Coons, who led the group, as well as Senator Peters and Representatives Turner, Sewell, and Dean.
During their visit, the congressional members held meetings with Prime Minister Marape, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the Mineral Resources Authority, and members of the American Chamber of Commerce. These discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the United States and Papua New Guinea.
The two countries have maintained diplomatic ties since Papua New Guinea's independence. Their cooperation covers defense initiatives and economic development efforts. American companies such as ExxonMobil and Newmont have invested in Papua New Guinea’s natural resources sector. There are also new citizen diplomacy programs like Sister Cities partnerships between Port Moresby and Long Beach, California, as well as Madang and Poplar, Wisconsin.
Congressman Coons stated: “I’m proud to be in Port Moresby as we honor 50 years of independence in Papua New Guinea this year, and 50 years of bilateral relations between Papua New Guinea and the United States. I’m grateful for the opportunity to discuss how we can deepen the partnership between our nations on everything from shared security goals to economic prosperity.”
U.S. Ambassador Ann Marie Yastishock commented: “We are pleased to welcome the bipartisan congressional Delegation to Papua New Guinea. The team at the U.S. embassy has been dedicated to identifying areas for collaboration between the United States and Papua New Guinea, and we were pleased to showcase the importance of this bilateral relationship to our Members of Congress.”
The delegation also toured key sites including a visit to Parliament’s main floor.