O’Neill, Pato praised for PNG’s regional standing

Caption:  ACP Ambassadorial Working Group Chairman Joshua Kalinoe. 

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, May 29, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

CHAIRMAN of the ACP Ambassadorial Working Group in Brussels, Joshua Kalinoe has credited the standing of Papua New Guinea as a regional leader to the efforts of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Minister for Foreign Affairs Rimbink Pato.

He said with the preparations of the working groups the National Organizing Committee working jointly with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the CEO of APEC and they have got everything covered from policy to logistics.

“On the preparatory work in Brussels, one of the reasons why we host these kinds of forums, and I must give credit to the minister and the Prime Minister because they are leading the country’s international affairs and are the key political leaders,” Ambassador Kalinoe said.

“This government in the rest of my public service career I have not seen a government that has stepped up its international representation.”

“I think that the current government has taken it upon itself under the Connectivity Policy Statement that the minister made that has gone out and tried to step up our representation outside of the traditional areas like Asia pacific, going beyond to Europe, Africa, and North America.”

He said part of the strategy host the summit aims to improve the profile of Papua New Guinea in the European, African, and Caribbean regions.

“If you go to Europe not very many people know where Papua New Guinea is, because they think that it is part of Africa.”

“I think the minister and prime minister have done well in selling the country.”