15 hours ago
PNG and Bougainville leaders to finalise independence agreements on Thursday
PNG Prikme Minister James Marape and Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama duringmoderation talks ealier this year.
Photo:
Autonomous Bougainville Government
Leaders of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville are due to hold a one-day meeting on Thursday to sign off on agreements related to the autonomous region's quest for independence.
The meeting will likely mark the end of the involvement of former New Zealand governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae.
Sir Jerry was brought in to help find a way forward after a years' long stalemate over the tabling of the results of Bougainville's independence referendum.
His involvement is set to end as Bougainville enters its election process, with writs expected to be issued at the end of next week.
Most recently, ten days of meetings in Burnham, New Zealand, orchestrated by Sir Jerry, appear to have failed to achieve significant progress.
The PNG and Bougainville governments have largely refused to talk about the issues publicly.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is set to attend a major peace and reconciliation ceremony between PNG and Bougainville in September.
PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko has confirmed Guterres' attendance.
The
Post-Courier
reports Tkatchenko saying the UN chief will be in Port Moresby from 2-3 September for the national reconciliation.
The national reconciliation was originally going to be staged in 2019 before Bougainvilleans had voted in their independence referendum, but it did not go ahead.
