Historic air deal signed

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and RMI President Hilda Heine sign the new air services deal during the Pacific Leaders Meeting (PALM) in Japan last week. Photo: Marshall Islands President’s Office.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and RMI President Hilda Heine sign the new air services deal during the Pacific Leaders Meeting (PALM) in Japan last week. Photo: Marshall Islands President’s Office.

A historic moment in the relationship between the Marshall Islands and Papua New Guinea was realized in Japan over the weekend with the signing of an Air Service Agreement between the two governments.  The signing was held at the Spa Resort Hawaiians-Hotel Hawaiians in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

This was the venue of the eighth Pacific Islands Leaders’ Meeting (PALM).

The agreement was signed by President Hilda Heine and PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. It had been initialed earlier this year in Majuro by foreign ministry officials from both countries following about two years of development.

In thanking Prime Minister O’Neill, President Heine said that this long-awaited agreement provides the opportunity to cooperate with PNG in the area of civil aviation.

She invited the PNG Prime Minister to visit the Marshall Islands on the inaugural flight of Air Niugini.

Read more about this in the May 25, 2018 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.