WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th May, 2023) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Papua New Guinea next week to meet with Pacific Island leaders on behalf of President Joe Biden, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press release.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden called Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape to reaffirm his commitment to the renewed partnership with the Pacific Islands after he canceled his visit to the country over talks on the US debt ceiling with US congressional leaders.
"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, May 21-22. In Port Moresby, Secretary Blinken will meet with Pacific Islands Forum leaders on behalf of President Biden," Miller said in the release on Thursday.
Biden is visiting Japan to participate in a G7 leaders summit, after which he will return to the US to negotiate raising the debt ceiling to avert the country defaulting as early as June. Biden's trip to Japan was initially the beginning of a broader visit to the Indo-Pacific region, which included stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Miller said Blinken will also have a bilateral meeting with Marape, where he will sign a bilateral defense cooperation agreement and a bilateral maritime security agreement.
Blinken will use the visit to discuss a range of issues of mutual concern for Pacific Islands leaders, including climate change, and improving trade and security in the region. Moreover, Miller said Blinken will extend Biden's invitation to Pacific Islands leaders to visit Washington, DC, later this year for the second US summit with the Pacific Islands Forum.
