MARCH 3, 2023
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says his bilateral meeting with France President H.E. Emmanuel Macron is very good for relationships between France and Papua New Guinea.
He said this after the two leaders met in Libreville, Gabon, on the sidelines of the ‘One Forest Summit’ on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
It was President Macron, in fact, who invited PM Marape to attend the ‘One Forest Summit’ in Gabon – its former colony – during their last meeting at APEC 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, last November
PM Marape said the meeting covered matters of sustainable logging, climate change and France assistance to PNG in other matters. This includes defence cooperation, especially in areas of training, between the two countries.
“I am hoping for a partnership with the France Government to see similar projects like what is being done in Gabon, including downstream processing of logs,” PM Marape said.
“The Government of France does not have any direct projects in PNG relating to forestry, conservation, biodiversity or carbon markets. France, however, is part of the European Union (EU), and there is an existing EU-Pacific Green-Blue Alliance.
“The EU is also preparing a new cooperation project on ‘Forest, Climate Change and Biodiversity (FCCB)’ in PNG that is in its consultation stage.
“The new initiative is a concrete implementation of a ‘Global Gateway’ in the Pacific Region, as it will offer sustainable partnership for a green and digital transition, focusing on the ‘Green Deal.
“It is fully in line with the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which identifies the ‘Green Transition’ as a priority area of work with partners in the Pacific. The new project aims to support PNG in the areas of forestry, climate change and biodiversity.”
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