Japan-Papua New Guinea Defense Minister’s Telephone Conversation

June 16, 2020
Japan Ministry of Defense
in Japanese

On June 16, 2020, Minister KONO had a telephone conversation with Minister Soloma of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

  1. The two Ministers exchanged views on issues such as the roles to be played by the defense authorities given the global spread of COVID-19. Minister Kono explained the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ activities on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, activities to take measures at the airport and to prevent community spread infection, infection-preventative measures undertaken in their operation which resulted in having no deployed member infected with the virus, and analysis by the SDF Central Hospital by using a presentation document (see attached). Minister Soloma also explained the recent activities and measures taken in PNG.
  2. The two Ministers agreed that information and data on the measures against COVID-19 are the common resources of humanity and therefore should be shared with due transparency among the international community. Minister Kono also pointed out the importance of further cooperation with other countries that share values and interests in order not to undermine the free and open international order that has been a cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the world.
  3. The two Ministers also exchanged views on the current regional security issues including the South China Sea and the East China Sea in light of the current events occurring in the region, and agreed to continue close communication. On this matter, Minister Kono shared his view that they should strongly oppose any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force and any activities that add to the tension and that the free and open maritime order based on the rule of law is important.
  4. Further, the two Ministers exchanged views on defense cooperation and exchanges between Japan and PNG. Moreover, Minister Kono, taking into consideration the implications of COVID-19, expressed the importance of both countries’ maintaining seamless defense posture and of continued and strengthened bilateral defense cooperation to uphold and reinforce the Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Minister Kono also underlined that both countries will continue to work together to realize the successful performance by the PNG military band at the next or future Japan Self-Defense Forces Marching Festival, as an achievement of the capacity building project extended to the band since 2015. Minister Soloma expressed his appreciation for the cooperation and further showed his expectations for the capacity building project in the engineering field which is currently being developed. The two Ministers also agreed on the necessity to hold the Japan Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue (JPIDD), which has been postponed as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19, as soon as the outbreak comes to an end.
  5. The two Ministers agreed on the following three points bearing in mind the circumstances arisen by the spread of COVID-19;
  1. sharing information, knowledge and lessons learned about the measures taken by the defense authorities towards overcoming COVID-19 at the earliest stage;
  2. necessity of sharing threat recognition based on the current circumstances and potential effects of the spread of COVID-19 on defense policy of each country; and
  3. promoting vigorously defense cooperation and exchanges to uphold and reinforce the Free and Open Indo-Pacific while maintaining communication between the defense authorities.