Avoid unnecessary comments on PM Modi, President Biden, Papua New Guinea PM tells nation

“Refrain from unnecessary comments and innuendoes about the visits of US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape appealed commentators and people of his country.

“I want to appeal to all Papua New Guinea commentators, on both social and mainstream media, to refrain from unnecessary comments and innuendoes about the visits of President Biden and Prime Minister Modi,” Marape said on Wednesday.

The appeal of Papua New Guinea PM came in the wake of increasing number of comments, on both social and mainstream media, ahead of the visits of both the world leaders.

Modi, Biden’s Papua New Guinea visit

The visit of Biden to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the Pacific on 22 May, on his way to Australia for the Quad summit will coincide with PM Modi’s first visit to PNG on 21-22 May.

The Indian Prime Minister is also visiting the Pacific island nation on his way to Australia for the Quad meet.

The Quad summit will be held on 24 May.

Marape had earlier said that he had invited Biden when they met in Washington last year, and was “very honoured that he has fulfilled his promise to me to visit our country”.

Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Marape and have a meeting with 18 Pacific Island leaders of the Pacific Island Forum, who will be in Port Moresby at the same time for the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).

‘Don’t take Modi-Biden’s visits for granted

PM Marape told Papua New Guineans that “such visits are not easy to put together, as Papua New Guinea is not the only  country in the Indo-Pacific region” that PM Modi and Biden could have chosen to visit, “especially at a time like this”.

“The leaders of the USA and India chose to visit us when they could have easily gone elsewhere, so let us respect their choice to visit us,” he added.

“Let us not take such visits for granted. I appeal to all commentators on both mainstream and social media to refrain from making unnecessary inferences, especially on matters that you know little of, such as global geo-politics and various other issues,” PM Marape said.

‘Put on a fitting welcome for Modi, Biden’

Marape said Papua New Guineans should appreciate that Modi and Biden, leaders of the two of the biggest economies in the world, have chosen to visit the country.

“Papua New Guinea remains friends to all and enemies to none –  a foundational policy that was deeply Pangu Pati’s at the time of Independence in 1975. Being friends to all and enemies to none, we have relationships with all countries. These relationships are invaluable,” Marape said.

“India is a huge country – a global economic powerhouse – and it is good for PNG that we have a good relationship with them. India is currently ranked as the fourth-largest economy in the world and will continue to grow bigger. USA is the No. 1 economy in the world,” he added.

“Let us put on a fitting welcome for these world leaders, as well as those from the Pacific, and make their stay a memorable one. I thank President Biden and Prime Minister Modi for this huge vote-of-confidence in PNG,” Marape concluded.

Papua New Guinea will jointly host with India, the 3rd edition of the Forum of India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit in Port Moresby, between 21 to 23 May 2023.

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