Department of Foreign Affairs
Papua New Guinea
PNG-INDONESIA BORDER AGREEMENT TO BE RATIFIED
The Government of Papua New Guinea has approved review of PNG-Indonesia Boarder Agreement after a decade of no progress. The National Parliament supported the submission for ratification of Basic Border Agreement by absolute 81 votes to zero on 15 March 2023.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Justin Tkatchenko who led this agreement for its ratification process affirmed that the review is crucial for both countries to properly address some of the outstanding common issues including the management and administration of land border between PNG and Indonesia.
The ratification process would allow the government of both countries to review process of border arrangements and to clarify actual border between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, customary and traditional land of PNG and its people. It would also enhance work on immigration, customs and trade arrangement between the two countries.
The review of Basic Border Agreement will further enhance mutual cooperation between the two countries in other areas of engagements like security cooperation. The agreement served as a guideline for both countries to request for necessary assistance from each other to deal with many illegal activities that affect people from both side of the border.
In December last year Minister Tkatchenko attended the 4th Archipelagic Islands State Ministerial Forum in Bali where he met Indonesian Foreign Minister Hon. Retno Marsudi to discuss and give assurance of the ratification of the now approved border agreement.
Since the review has been approved, PNG can involve in the process of reviewing any outstanding issues with our border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea for new agreement then to be signed in a way it captures our border and sovereignty interests. PNG Government will work with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia to review what needs to be updated and work closely with Indonesia to look at how we can improve border issues for the benefit of both countries.
However, the PNG-Indonesia Border Agreement was signed in 2013 and PNG has not ratified the said agreement till 2023, while Indonesia has formally ratified the Basic Border Agreement after it was signed in 2013.
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