By Delly Waigeno – EM TV News, Port Moresby
Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, was in France this week for the Paris Trade and Investment Forum.
He also met with the President of the French Republic, François Hollande, in a formal bilateral meeting, the first between both countries.
O’Neill said what the PNG delegation did in Paris this week, was to ensure the French business and investment community had accurate information about Papua New Guinea.
The Prime Minister was in Paris this week to promote Papua New Guinea to the Government and the business community in the French Republic.
Mr O’Neill said PNG made it a duty to welcome French professionals and instructors at the Trade and Investment Forum, as part of the TOTAL SA-led Papua LNG Project.
Mr O’Neill said the meeting with François Hollande was significant as Papua New Guinea and France increase economic and cultural ties through the new Papua LNG project.
He said while both countries have enjoyed 40 years of diplomatic relations, it is only now that trade and cultural relations are increasing, and they are increasing rapidly with more French nationals moving to live and work in PNG.
He said the Papua LNG Project is going to generate 10,000 jobs in Port Moresby and 3,000 new jobs in Gulf Province, and hundreds of French workers will come and live with us.
Mr O’Neill said France is expanding our trade gateway to Europe and would like to see Papua New Guinea become a significant hub for France in the Pacific.
