President Danny Faure met with H.E. Steven Davis, Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on 9th December 2019, in the margins of the 9th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government, and extended his congratulations to the Prime Minister of PNG for their stewardship since the 8th ACP Summit.

The two leaders discussed the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries which they regretted should have taken place much earlier. Expressing the need to retain cohesion between Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Small Island Developing States (SIDS), President Faure conveyed any division of ACP will be a disservice to SIDS across all regions, especially to SIDS in the African region.

In noting the impacts of climate change for Pacific island states, H.E. Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea welcomed the possibilities for areas of cooperation with Seychelles on tourism and climate change.

Both countries agreed to work closely and in unity during the negotiation for a new ACP-EU partnership agreement and to extend opportunities for observer status to the sessions of their respective regional grouping.