Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer will lead the talks at the Royal Pines resort on the Gold Coast. Also attending will be defence minister Robert Hill, attorney-general Philip Ruddock, immigration minister Amanda Vanstone, finance minister Nick Minchin, justice minister Chris Ellison and transport minister Warren Truss.
The talks, to cover a wide range of topics, will also be attended by 11 PNG ministers, including foreign minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu.
The PNG gas pipeline project will help Australia reduce its aid to Papua New Guinea and boost investment and trade between the two countries, PNG high commissioner to Australia, Charles Lepani, said at last week’s Australia & PNG Gas Conference in Brisbane.
“It would set the basis of a bilateral relationship that is mutually beneficial for our two countries and our people, for the very reason that the pipeline project will tie the two countries as mutually and commercially dependent on each other and as equal sovereign nations,” PNG’s The National newspaper reported him as saying.
But Lepani also said both nations’ governments had responsibilities to ensure the ongoing success of the venture.
“This requires the on-going effort by both governments to manage the non-commercial risks that might threaten the continuing success of the project,” Lepani said.
