MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2023) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday he had discussed a number of pressing issues and signed a new defense cooperation agreement with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape during a meeting in the capital city of Port Moresby.
"Met PNG Prime Minister Marape at the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Port Moresby. We covered many topics, including the successful conclusion of the new Defense Cooperation Agreement. Our two countries are promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Pacific region," Blinken tweeted following the meeting.
The agreement will allow the US coast guard to patrol the exclusive economic zone of Papua New Guinea together with officials of the Pacific state on board and will also provide for satellite surveillance, then-Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said in mid-May.
Last week, US President Joe Biden called 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.
Blinken's trip to Papua New Guinea comes as the United States is seeking to counter China's rising influence in the region, especially in light of the security pact that Beijing struck with the Solomon Islands last year.
