Australia and Papua New Guinea have signed a landmark defence pact, the first such agreement between the two neighbours in more than 70 years, as Canberra strengthens regional alliances to counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific.
The Pukpuk Defence Treaty, named after the Tok Pisin word for “crocodile”, was signed on Monday by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape in Canberra.
The accord commits both countries to come to each other’s aid in the event of an attack, marking Papua New Guinea’s first-ever formal defence treaty.
“This is a historic agreement,” Albanese said during a joint press conference. “By continuing to build our security relationships in the region, we safeguard our own security.”
The treaty also allows up to 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve in the Australian Defence Force under dual arrangements, a move seen as deepening military and cultural ties between the two nations.
Albanese emphasized that both sides had agreed not to undertake any activities or sign agreements that could “compromise the implementation of this treaty,” in what analysts view as a subtle reference to concerns over China’s efforts to expand security cooperation across the Pacific.
Marape, whose cabinet approved the Pukpuk treaty last week, said the agreement was born out of shared geography and history rather than geopolitics.
“This treaty was not conceived out of geopolitics or any other reason, but out of geography, history and the enduring reality of our shared neighbourhood,” he said.
However, Marape also noted that Papua New Guinea would continue to maintain diplomatic and trade relations with China and other global partners.
The defence pact marks a new phase in Australia’s regional engagement, reinforcing its role as a key security partner for Pacific island nations amid intensifying strategic competition in the region.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
