Melanesian Spearhead Group ‘Special Envoys’ Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and his PNG counterpart James Marape met with Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo today and discussed pressing issues surrounding West Papua.
The duo was mandated by the MSG leaders.
Both Rabuka and Marape engaged in an informal dialogue with President Widodo, expressing the countries’ respect for “sovereignty of state”.
This meeting marked the first trilateral dialogue among the leaders following the appointment of Prime Minister Rabuka and Prime Minister Marape as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) special envoys to Indonesia.
Given that Indonesia is an important partner for the Pacific Island countries with geographic and ethnic ties to the MSG, the meeting was crucial to foster genuine dialogue at the level of the heads of government.
The Indonesian President has extended an invitation to the two Prime Ministers to visit his country, as part of efforts to further strengthen diplomatic relations.
Rabuka had proposed to the MSG last week that they send a representative to Indonesia to facilitate dialogue on the issues of human rights violation against West Papua.
He said that he believed that this was a crucial step forward and these efforts are an extension of ongoing work to nurture the concept of the Pacific as a zone of peace.
The Prime Minister said that the Melanesian Spearhead Group is determined in finding a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the West Papua issue and looks forward to engaging in meaningful discussions with Indonesia to address this pressing concern.
