PNG-Australia relations take center stage in Marape speech

In a landmark address delivered in Canberra, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister highlighted the close ties between his nation and Australia.

Transcript

00:00 Ours is a relationship that has shared ethnicity.

00:03 If you look into your geological study,

00:06 you realize that the Indo-Australian isolation plate holds us together.

00:11 And so one might say we are joined to the hips.

00:14 We are joined at the hips.

00:16 So we are going nowhere, but we must coexist.

00:20 Until Jesus comes.

00:23 Many of us in Papua New Guinea see Australia as a big brother or sister.

00:28 In a world of many relations, with many nations,

00:31 nothing will come in between our two countries,

00:34 because we are family.

00:36 One can choose friends, but one is stuck with family forever.

00:41 A strong, economically empowered Papua New Guinea

00:45 means a stronger and more secure Australia and the Pacific.

00:49 And I repeat,

00:51 a strong, economically empowered Papua New Guinea

00:54 means a stronger Australia and a more secure Australia and Pacific.

01:00 Today I did not come to give you more requests.

01:03 Rather, I came to say thank you.

01:06 [Applause]

01:13 [Silence]

01:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]