During his State Visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG) on 28 July 2023, President of France H.E. Emmanuel Macron and H.E. James Marape, Prime Minister of PNG, witnessed the signing of two agreements between the European Union (EU), its bank the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Expertise France (EF) and other partners in order to provide support to PNG for the implementation of a Forest, Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme and Green Investments under the Global Gateway Strategy.
H.E. Jacques Fradin, Ambassador of the EU to PNG, signed a contract for €33.5 million (PGK 133 million) EU funding with Expertise France, the French Government’s international technical cooperation agency and an entity of the AFD Group, for the implementation of the national component of the EU Forest, Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme in PNG. This programme supports the PNG ambition to ensure sustainable management of its natural resources and its transition to a green, carbon neutral economy. It will support a development model that reconciles climate change, environmental protection and biodiversity with sustainable, inclusive and gender-responsive green growth and jobs.
Ambassador Fradin also signed a Declaration of Intent on the sustainable rehabilitation of Ports infrastructure between the EU, AFD, EIB, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and PNG Ports Corporation. The Declaration of Intent formalizes a mutual understanding between the partners to cooperate for supporting the strengthening of PNG Port Corporation as a modern, reliable, safe and sustainable public company and by doing so, supporting the delivery of much needed public services to the population of PNG across the country through the sustainable rehabilitation of Ports infrastructure.
H.E. Jacques Fradin, Ambassador of the EU to PNG stated: “I am honoured to sign today two important agreements with Papua New Guinea, France and other development partners that will put the Global Gateway Strategy and EU Green Deal into practice in PNG. The support provided by the EU through these agreements will support the PNG Government and local communities to improve livelihoods of and services for its people while at the same time preserving its forests and biodiversity, and tackling climate change. Both agreements provide funding for interventions that are part of the Team Europe Initiative ‘Our Forest, Our Future’ that will be launched in October 2023.”
EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle, who is in charge of the EU bank operations in the Pacific, said: “The Declaration of Intent on the sustainable rehabilitation of Ports infrastructure in PNG signed today will enable the EIB, as the EU Climate Bank, to fully contribute to the Global Gateway Strategy. The cooperation between the EU, EIB and AFD, together with the PNG Government and other development partners, is a great illustration of how we can join forces as Team Europe. This project will help PNG Ports Corporation to be better prepared for major climate events and natural disasters and to ensure an efficient and safe functioning of its maritime activities.”
