Prime Minister James Marape has described the official visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as a “historic and defining moment” in bilateral relations, reaffirming a shared commitment to peace, prosperity and Pacific solidarity.
The visit, from 4 to 6 August, marked a milestone in Papua New Guinea’s diplomatic history as Mr Luxon became the first New Zealand leader — and only the second foreign leader after Australia’s Anthony Albanese in 2023 — to address the National Parliament.
Welcoming his counterpart and delegation to Parliament House in Waigani, Marape called the visit a “powerful reaffirmation of a friendship rooted in integrity, trust and shared Pacific values.”
“This day, we do not just welcome a neighbour — we welcome a family member,” he said. “New Zealand stood with us in 1975 when we gained Independence and has walked alongside us for the last 50 years. This visit renews that vow of partnership and positions us to move forward together for the next 50 years.”
A friendship forged in shared history
Marape paid tribute to New Zealand’s role in PNG’s nation-building — from helping form the civil service, health and education systems to its peace-building role during the Bougainville Crisis and support after the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement.
This year, the two countries launched the Papua New Guinea–New Zealand Statement of Partnership 2025–2029, a strategic framework built on five pillars: political and regional collaboration; economic and trade engagement; education and labour mobility; peace and security, particularly in Bougainville; and climate action and environmental resilience.
“This partnership is not built on aid or handouts,” Marape said. “It is built on mutual respect and a shared vision for transforming lives, uplifting communities and creating opportunity for the next generation.”
Delivering on shared ambitions
Bilateral talks between the leaders focused on initiatives aligned with PNG’s 50-year development vision, including:
- Expanding New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme to take in over 10,000 Papua New Guinean workers, with skilled labour pathways.
- Increasing New Zealand business investment in agriculture, infrastructure and energy in PNG.
- Boosting vocational training and youth employment.
- Supporting peaceful dialogue and implementation of the Melanesian Agreement on Bougainville.
- Scaling up climate resilience projects and renewable energy cooperation.
Thousands of New Zealanders currently live and work in PNG, while a growing Papua New Guinean diaspora contributes to New Zealand’s communities and economy. Marape said such people-to-people ties strengthened both nations.
“In a world of turbulence, we seek friends who lead not through might, but through right — and New Zealand is such a friend,” he said, underscoring the two nations’ role in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. “We are committed to stand together — to protect our oceans, defend our democracies and ensure no Pacific child is left behind.”
Bougainville peace: NZ’s enduring role
Luxon’s visit came just weeks after the Burnham Consultations in Canterbury, hosted by New Zealand and moderated by former governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae, with United Nations support. The talks advanced post-referendum dialogue between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the PNG Government.
New Zealand, a signatory witness to the Bougainville Peace Agreement, has been a consistent peace partner since hosting the first Burnham talks in 1997, facilitating neutral dialogue and deploying an unarmed Truce Monitoring Group.
In June, both sides agreed to present the 2019 referendum results — alongside the moderator’s report and bipartisan committee findings — to the PNG Parliament, a step towards deciding Bougainville’s political future.
“New Zealand’s role as a neutral facilitator and peace partner remains indispensable,” Marape said. “Their commitment at Burnham reaffirms our shared dedication to a lasting, homegrown solution.”
A golden season of diplomacy
The Luxon visit opens a historic sequence of engagements as PNG celebrates its 50th Independence Anniversary.
In early September, the country will host UN Secretary-General António Guterres for a four-day visit — the first by a UN chief in PNG’s history, and the longest stay anywhere in the Pacific. He will address Parliament before the anniversary celebrations on 16 September, which are expected to draw leaders from across the Pacific and beyond.
“This marks a historic moment that recognises PNG’s growing role in regional peace, climate action and sustainable development,” Marape said.
The Prime Minister has called on citizens to embrace the anniversary year with unity: “We are privileged to live during this milestone year. Let us come together with one heart, one mind, one nation.”
SME growth and trade opportunities
The New Zealand Prime Minister also attended the New Zealand Economic Support Morning Tea on 6 August, where International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru thanked Wellington for its support of PNG’s small and medium-sized enterprises.
Through the Business Link Pacific (BLP) programme, New Zealand provides PNG businesses — particularly women-owned and rural enterprises — with advisory services, concessional loans and grants.
Maru noted that New Zealand had also funded major market upgrades in Gordons, Kimbe and Lae, which he said directly support informal vendors and SME operators. “Markets are where most of our SMEs and mothers from the informal sector sell their products,” he said. “We want this to be replicated in the rest of the provinces and districts in the country to support our mothers and sisters.”
He outlined the PNG Government’s own commitment, which includes over K100 million annually for SME loans and new grant funding for the Women’s Microbank (Mama Bank). He also announced a National Executive Council decision to offer competitive K100,000 grants to help SMEs export to overseas markets.
Mr Maru proposed anchoring the PNG–NZ relationship in a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to support SME growth, entrepreneurship and trade, while firmly stating that PNG would not join the PACER Plus agreement.
“We are a big island nation,” he said. “We have the resources, we have the population, we have our own issues and our own national interest that must be catered for.”
Looking ahead: unity and purpose
In his Parliament address, Luxon paid tribute to PNG’s progress since Independence and affirmed New Zealand’s commitment to the shared Pacific vision. He highlighted cooperation on climate change, renewable energy and labour mobility, and said the friendship was “anchored in trust, shared history and mutual respect.”
Marape, in closing the visit, stressed that the PNG–NZ partnership was “not just transactional — it is transformational.”
“Together, we are building something that transcends politics — a legacy of peace, purpose and Pacific partnership,” he said. “May the bond between our peoples deepen. May the mountains of PNG and the shores of Aotearoa rise together. And may the next 50 years be a testament to what we can achieve — side by side, wantok to wantok,” Marape said.
