10 Oct 2003

Australia says talks with PNG positive

4:46 pm on 10 October 2003

Australia says top-level talks which finished Thursday night between senior Australian officials and their Papua New Guinea counterparts were productive.

The talks, to identify ways Australia can help improve law and order in PNG, involved Australian aid, police, legal, immigration and indigenous affairs officials and PNG department heads.

A spokesperson for the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby says the issues considered included placing police with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, and more help for agencies generally.

The spokesperson says the talks will be followed by a technical visit, also on law and order, beginning on October 13th.

The following week, senior Australian officials from the Treasury and the offices of the Prime Minister and Cabinet will visit Port Moresby to discuss macro-economic issues.

The ongoing talks are designed to produce a framework of assistance across the economy for presenting to a forum on the issue in Adelaide on December 11th.