By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, December 4, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
PAPUA New Guinea has expressed its extreme interest in opening up trade with Russia.
The aspiration was revealed by Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru following what he described as positive talks with his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade during the APEC meet last month in Peru.
Minister Maru said of the Russia’s strong intentions to send over a trade delegation in February, next year, to the country.
“They promised us that they will come only after the signing of a Trade and Economic Partnership MoA (Memorandum of Agreement) with Russia,” Maru said.
“I’ve asked them to email it over for the government to sign the MoA with the Russian Government to basically affirm that PNG is in to develop and grow trade ties with Russia on the back of that they will send a delegation.”
“I have asked them to send a trade delegation in the last week of February so we can receive them and do presentations with them and they can look at investment opportunities and at the same time they can look at goods that they may want to buy from our country.”
Mr Maru attributed the first trade dialogue with the Russians to the APEC meet in Peru, as an indicator of the kind of opportunities that await PNG come 2018.
“We wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet with their trade minister and I am happy that this will provide the opportunity for them to come and for us to go.”
“It is a country that we are not doing business with, and we are hopeful and we told them that we will do anything and everything to welcome them and receive them to Papua New Guinea.”
“We are excited about this opportunity, a new frontier in terms of business, and the government of Papua New Guinea is very keen to engage with our Russian friends.”
He said that in the meet, discussions were also held of the possibility of scholarship to study in Russia for students.
“While there we also spoke to the Russian trade minister about the possibility of Russia opening scholarships for PNG students to study in some of their universities.”
“I think they are keen to do that and I will be writing to the foreign minister to chase that up. We are very keen on sending our students to study in Russia.”
“We want to see more Papua New Guineans to go and live and study there to get to understand their language, their culture, and their country.”
When asked about the sectors the Russian may be interested in for potential investments- he said they had not indicated as yet, however, Maru indicated the mining, petroleum and gas sectors may appeal to them.
“No we do not know yet but obviously they will be interested in the mining, petroleum, and the gas sector. I have no doubt about that- also they could be interested in some of our other resources including fishing.”
“We don’t know who is going to come. As soon as we get the MoA signed off and we send over and they will send over a profile of the companies.”
“But especially the resource sector, and fisheries they could be interested in and our agriculture products like coffee, cocoa, coconut oil- those are the sectors which I think they would be interested in.”
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