U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, has met with Papua New Guinea Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso and Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko during the Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity Summit to discuss strengthening economic ties and expanding U.S. support to PNG.

The talks build on the Framework for Strategic Cooperation signed between the two countries in Port Moresby in September last year.

Papua New Guinea already hosts several major American companies including ExxonMobil, Newmont, Coca-Cola and Hilton. These companies contribute to job creation, technical expertise and long-term investment in the country. Leaders at the summit also highlighted opportunities to increase U.S. investment in sectors such as critical minerals, infrastructure, health, telecommunications and security.

During their bilateral meeting, discussions focused on strengthening the long-standing partnership between the two nations and identifying new areas for economic cooperation. U.S. assistance to PNG includes about $87 million (K378 million) in health programs since 2001. In addition, $4.25 million (K18.5 million) has been provided through the HALO Trust to clear unexploded ordnance, allowing land to be safely used for development, agriculture and tourism.

The leaders also discussed ongoing defence cooperation under the Defence Cooperation Agreement and the Ship Rider Agreement, as well as the need to strengthen PNG’s ICT sector to attract further investment.

Across the Pacific Islands, U.S. economic engagement has totaled more than $53 billion over the past 11 years, with more than 90 percent coming from private investment and trade.

The three-day summit, held at the East-West Center in Honolulu, was co-led by Deputy Secretary Landau and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo. It brought together government leaders, investors, businesses and financial institutions from across the Pacific to explore new economic opportunities for the region.