Indonesia and Papua New Guinea Agree to Hold Joint Commission

Indonesia and Papua New Guinea have agreed to hold a Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries in early September 2026 in Jakarta. According to a press release from Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, this was agreed upon by Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC) in Manila, Philippines. The Joint Ministerial Commission will serve as the primary platform to comprehensively review bilateral cooperation achievements and set the future direction of the partnership between the two countries. The two ministers also discussed plans for high-level visits, including Papua New Guinea’s expectation for a visit by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Papua New Guinea in early 2027. Both ministers also stressed the importance of accelerating the implementation of various signed cooperation agreements, including in the fields of defence and border management, to ensure the cooperation delivers tangible benefits for the people of both countries, especially in border areas. Regarding development cooperation, the two sides discussed the continuation of Indonesia’s assistance programme for the renovation of a hospital in Papua New Guinea. “Indonesia is a development partner for Papua New Guinea. Our commitment is to ensure this cooperation continues to provide tangible benefits for the people of Papua New Guinea,” said Sugiono. During the meeting, Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko reaffirmed his government’s full support for Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two ministers also affirmed their commitment to continue strengthening the friendly and mutually beneficial bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.