Australian officials have welcomed Papua New Guinea's push to improve security at sea-ports.
Australia's High Commissioner to PNG, Michael Potts, says the country was thought to have been in a weak position in relation to the International Ship and Port Facility Security code.
The AAP news agency reports that experts want the security rules, envisioned after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US, to be enforced from July the first this year.
Mr Potts says the new measures are part of what he calls a larger regional effort to protect the security and safety of PNG.
He says whilst it's a credit to PNG, the International Maritime Organisation will continue to conduct audits of port security to ensure the code is followed.
