Defence Ministers from Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea convened in Port Moresby earlier this week for the inaugural Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
Minister for PNGDF, Billy Joseph, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Indonesia’s Minister of Defence General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin were all present at the Hilton Hotel.
Ministers welcomed the development of the trilateral partnership, built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a collective vision for a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
They reflected on the signing of the PNGAustralia mutual defence treaty (Pukpuk Treaty), and conclusion of negotiations on an Australia-Indonesia Treaty on common security, and their contribution to the peace, stability and security in the region.
They also welcomed this opportunity to discuss defence cooperation between the PNGDF, ADF and the Indonesian National Armed Forces. They shared perspectives on regional defence and noted the area of military engagement between the three.
The three ministers explored opportunities to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and aviation best practice.
Ministers proposed holding the trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting annually, with Indonesia agreeing to host the forum in 2026.
