Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the U.S. has signed a new defense cooperation pact with Papua New Guinea (PNG). The agreement enables U.S. military forces to train with PNG’s military and expands the nation’s strategic capabilities. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Blinken held separate meetings with PNG and 13 other Pacific island representatives.
The meetings addressed regional concerns regarding health, development, and climate change. Rising sea levels are a security priority for many small island nations in the Pacific. The United States and its allies hope that increased investment will deter Pacific nations from aligning with China. PNG Prime Minister James Marape officially stated an updated U.S. military relationship has nothing to do with China. The U.S. will provide $45 million to PNG for military equipment, climate change mitigation, and medical assistance. A separate agreement will increase U.S. Coast Guard patrols of PNG’s waters to defend against illegal fishing. The U.S. also renewed a defense agreement with Palau and will sign two more with Micronesia and the Marshall Islands very soon. The three pacts amount to a $7.1 billion investment over two decades.
Read More:
https://www.reuters.com/world/modi-blinken-meet-pacific-island-leaders-papua-new-guinea-2023-05-21/
