Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape recently signed a mutual defense treaty in Canberra. The details of the agreement are expected to be made public soon. Marape characterized the treaty as necessary due to both countries’ geographical and historical ties, referring to it as “one bigger fence that secures two houses.”
In his comments, Marape emphasized that the treaty was not influenced by broader geopolitical factors despite references to military interests from countries like China and the United States in the Pacific. He stated, “This treaty was not conceived out of geopolitics or any other reason,” underscoring PNG’s commitment to maintaining peaceful relations with all nations.
Prime Minister Albanese highlighted that the treaty establishes interoperability between the defense assets of the two nations, promoting the sharing of rights akin to those enjoyed by current members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the US.
As part of the agreement, Papua New Guinea aims to facilitate the service of 10,000 Papua New Guineans within the Australian Defense Force while also working toward developing its defense force to include 7,000 troops. PNG has a population of around 12 million, with approximately 40% living below the poverty line, contrasting sharply with Australia’s economic status.
This treaty comes shortly after PNG celebrated 50 years of independence from Australia, which had governed the territory as a colonial power. In addition, Australia is pursuing other security agreements within the Pacific region, including negotiations with Fiji and a stalled agreement focused on security and climate change with Vanuatu. Climate change remains a critical security issue for the Pacific islands, contributing to ongoing regional discussions and cooperation.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/6/australia-papua-new-guinea-sign-mutual-defence-treaty?traffic_source=rss