Jakarta (ANTARA) - Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape expressed his belief that Indonesia-PNG bilateral cooperation will continue in Indonesia's next administration, led by President-elect Prabowo Subianto.
Marape conveyed this to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) during his visit to the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Monday.
"I am confident that the hard work carried out by President Jokowi will continue in the next administration, not only between ministries but also between the President-elect and all his staff who take office this year," Marape remarked.
He emphasized his government's commitment to building stronger bilateral relations with Indonesia, particularly in trade and the economy.
Marape looks forward to more investment from Indonesia in PNG's capital, Port Moresby, and also targets increasing exports to Indonesia.
He said that he will schedule a follow-up visit to Indonesia to meet with Prabowo.
"I am looking forward to meeting the Indonesian President-elect," Marape stated.
The two countries agreed upon four memoranda of understanding during Marape's meeting with Jokowi.
The first agreement will regulate the transportation mechanism for public transport from Jayapura, Indonesia, to Vanimo, PNG, while the second agreement will regulate the crossing of goods carried out by public transport passengers at the Jayapura and Vanimo borders.
The third agreement encompasses cooperation in the health sector as a renewal of the cooperation agreement from 2018 that expired in 2022. This regulates public health on the border between the two countries.
Lastly, the agreement on education was signed as a legal umbrella for various collaborations in the education sector, including training and capacity building for teaching staff as well as scholarships for students.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus/Mentari Dwi G, Resinta S
Editor: Anton Santoso
