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Fiji reports 274 new cases of COVID-19; Expect next wave of virus in coming days – Dr Fong

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Fiji reports 274 new cases of COVID-19; Expect next wave of virus in coming days – Dr Fong

Fiji has reported 274 positive cases of COVID-19 Wednesday and Fijians should expect the next wave of the virus to arrive in four to five days from now, permanent secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong has warned.

He said virus moves in waves and the next wave to come, they expect it will be the most severe yet.

“While the indicators tell us to expect more fatalities in the coming weeks, the science and the experience of other nations tell us that many thousands of lives can still be saved,” Dr Fong said.

“The science behind how this virus spreads tells us that masks, physical distance, and handwashing, can work together to slow the spread.

“The science behind vaccines tells us this protection works extremely well against this variant.

“And our progress in protecting Fijians through vaccines shows us that we are well on our way back to a version of normalcy.”

Dr Fong also advised that they had now paused any further domestic repatriation applications.

He had earlier announced COVID-safe repatriation pathways for Fijians on Viti Levu seeking to return to Vanua Levu and maritime areas.

He said they have some individuals in quarantine awaiting transport to their homes once they are cleared.

For now, Dr Fong said they had paused new applications to the repatriation programme until more quarantine spaces were available.

“In the near-term, we need to keep those rooms open for COVID-positive patients as part of our containment programme on Viti Levu.”

Making reference to the ministry’s online map, he said Viti Levu was now in a situation of community transmission where there are cases throughout the Central division.

“As we’ve made clear throughout the week, our cases are climbing and we are expecting that the daily case average will continue to rise, including an increase in individuals suffering severe COVID-19,” Dr Fong said.

He said they had also identified a new area of concern in Rifle Range, Lautoka.

Dr Fong said this followed a cluster of new cases stemming from a birthday party with more than 14 people in attendance from various locations in Lautoka is a “show of blatant disregard” to national safety measures in place.

“Any large gathering of family may be the last time you see your grandparents or another loved one because they could easily be infected by this highly-transmissible variant, develop severe disease, and lose their lives,” Dr Fong said.

“Don’t forget – it’s not only you and your family that suffer these consequences. The entire community must now go under strict containment protocols.

“And when someone in attendance at an illegal gathering inevitably gets sick and ends up in the hospital, it is the duty of our doctors and nurses to treat them, and we will.

“But that preventable case of COVID-19 strains our healthcare system, making it more difficult for others to be treated.”

Dr Fong urged people – on behalf of the frontline workers and those who are most at risk – to follow the instructions.

“If you miss your family, pick up the phone and call your loved ones; any birthday parties can wait until next year.”

Dr Fong said while there were no new deaths to be reported, he added that there had been three tragic deaths during this outbreak that had occurred before the medical teams had the opportunity to offer treatment.

He said one patient died at home and two others were declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Dr Fong said he is truly puzzled by the pockets of resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine among some people.

He said it is known that vaccines had prevented the spread of dangerous diseases for “literally centuries”.

And he adds this vaccine is new because it is combatting a new disease.

“So every vaccine is new, yet the process of vaccination is time-tested and safe,” Dr Fong said last night.

“In the last year, we had successful vaccination campaigns in this country to combat outbreaks of measles and Men-C.”

Dr Fong said their vaccine teams had been fully deployed from Monday this week.

He said 50 per cent of their target population – half of the eligible adults in Fiji – had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We are rolling out vaccines at a rate that surpasses most high income countries.

“But our mission is not yet achieved. Our goal is to make a vaccine available to every eligible adult in Fiji and to have those Fijians all accept this safe and effective protection.

“There will always be lone voices sowing doubt, some citing what they believe is their own superior insight or even some revelation from God.

“But let me tell you what I believe. As a man of faith, I believe that I and the doctors and nurses I lead to have a God-given purpose to protect life. I believe that God gave us the ability to develop treatments for disease, and this vaccine has the overwhelming endorsement of the worldwide medical, scientific and religious communities.

“It is helping countries open up around the world, and it will help us do the same.”

He said those who refused to be vaccinated did so at their own risk and at the risk of others.

SOURCE: FIJI TIMES/PACNEWS

Response strategy changes, severe cases take priority: Fiji Health Ministry

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Response strategy changes, severe cases take priority: Fiji Health Ministry

Only severe cases of COVID-19 in Fiji will now be entered into isolation centres while others who do not display severe symptoms will have to isolate at home.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said their resources are limited and their response must now be targeted to where it is needed most.

“Over the next few weeks, as cases increase, our isolation capacity will become severely tested. As that happens we need to identify and treat those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. This is why moving forward, our isolation facilities will be dedicated to patients who are most at risk of becoming severely ill or dying from the virus.”

He said more than 3,000 people who are currently in home isolation or dedicated facilities are expected to recover.

The priority now is to care for those who become severely ill and those who may die from COVID-19.

A new team has also been set up at the ANZ Stadium in Suva to help transport patients who become severely ill, from homes or isolation centres to COVID care facilities.

The Ministry has also set up a new toll-free number 165 in case someone in-home isolation develops severe symptoms.

Based on these new response strategies, the Health Ministry will need to redirect its manpower.

“This phase of our response requires that we move our personnel from the field into ministry offices so that they can check in with patients remotely. It saves time by allowing us to check in with more patients so that there are fewer delays in flagging a case of severe disease. We are also supplementing internal staffing with final year medical and dental students from FNU.”

Dr Fong confirms they have made provisions for more beds in Laucala Bay Suva in anticipation of increasing cases of severely ill people.

“We are also establishing an intermediate COVID care facility at the National Gymnasium with at least 50 beds for patients who develop severe symptoms. If need be, we have identified additional space in the areas to expand the capacity if necessary.”

Those at high risk include people over the age of 60, those with medical conditions including hypertension, diabetes, heart or lung disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer or those who are obese.

Dr Fong said as many as 80 people are at risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 when infections reach a peak.

He said their projections indicate that the highest daily cases could reach 800 for the whole of Viti Levu.

With the Central Division being the hot-spot for the outbreak, half the total infections and severely ill cases will emerge from the Lami to Nausori containment zone.

“If we look at keeping the outbreak within the Central Division where you have half the population, then one would estimate that at its worst we would get 400 cases a day. Then you calculate that 20% of them will be sick, you can see that we will have a huge number of sick people for as long as we are not able to maintain some degree of control over the virus.”

Dr Fong said their strategy is not about eliminating COVID-19, but suppressing the numbers until the vaccine can take over in protecting the population.

The Permanent Secretary said the seven-day average daily test positivity currently stands at 8.9 percent.

156,924 samples have been tested since April this year.

SOURCE: FBC NEWS/PACNEWS

PNG considers ban on international flights as new COVID-19 Delta variant spreads to over 92 countries

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PNG considers ban on international flights as new COVID-19 Delta variant spreads to over 92 countries

Papua New Guinea Police Commissioner and Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response David Manning said the country is considering banning all international flights in and out of Papua New Guinea following the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

The Delta variant of COVID-19 (also known as B16172), which was first detected in India in October last year, is becoming the dominant variant of the disease worldwide. It is spreading rapidly across the globe and is now present in at least 92 countries including Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and even the Pacific Island nation of Fiji.

Manning said the National Control Centre as a responsible organisation tasked with the country’s COVID-19 response is closely monitoring developments in countries around the world including Australia and Fiji.

“If necessary we will consider closing our borders and banning all flights into and out of the country. We are aware that COVID-19 has affected our economy since the first case was recorded more than a year but we would rather be proactive than reactive.

“At this point we have proposed a number of intervention strategies to the government such as the ban of international flights for its consideration,” Manning said.

Other options being proposed to the government include:

• Increasing mandatory quarantine period to 21 days;

• Testing to be done on day 1, 7, 14 and 21 (day of release from quarantine);

• Genome sequencing to be undertaken as well as PCR testing to ascertain or determine which variant is in the country; and

• Mandatory tracking devise for all persons.

“Papua New Guinea has a real risk due to the high vaccine hesitancy which exposes the majority of our people to the virus and leaves us without a lot of options,” Manning said.

Manning repeated calls for citizens to be vaccinated. He said being vaccinated will offer some level of protection from this highly contagious variant but people must still continue to wear face masks, maintain social distance, use hand sanitisers or wash hands regularly and avoid crowds.
“Citizens must also be responsible during this period. If they have not been vaccinated, then they must do so. This is important if we as a country are going to defeat the pandemic,” Manning said.

SOURCE: PNG GOVT/PACNEWS

Tongan PM’s defence of convicted minister under spotlight

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Tongan PM’s defence of convicted minister under spotlight

The Tongan prime minister’s insistence on defending a government minister convicted of fraud will again be subjected to public scrutiny with sentencing in the case to be handed down this week.

The minister for infrastructure and tourism ‘Akosita Lavulavu was earlier this month convicted of three counts of fraud alongside her husband ‘Etuate Lavulavu.

The charges date back to 2016 when the couple falsified student documents in order to gain access to US$250,000 in government grant funding for a school they ran privately.

“This is an example of the worst sort of dishonesty,” remarked Justice NJ Cooper in his verdict.

“The conduct of these defendants would be disgraceful in anyone, but for a member of cabinet, and a man who used his political connections and position to facilitate these frauds, goes beyond just criminally reprehensible,” he said.

The couple are to be sentenced on Friday 02 July.

RNZ Pacific’s Tonga correspondent Kalafi Moala said the public has been calling for ‘Akosita Lavulavu to be sacked from Cabinet but to no avail.

“Not only she did not step aside, but the prime minister was called upon to fire her and instead of firing her he has come across defending her, defending both of the Lavulavu’s,” Kalafi said.

Kalafi said what is even more concerning is the prime minister continued to defend the couple after they were convicted of fraud.

“The Lavulavu’s have never declared that they are going to appeal but the prime minister has come forward and said, yes, there is going to be an appeal. So that is a major concern for what stands in front of justice, to block justice here, and it comes from the very highest, the leader of our government,” Kalafi said.

Despite being convicted as co-conspirators on all three counts of fraud, the couple are facing very different scenarios when it comes to their sentencing.

‘Akosita Lavulavu is a first-time offender and likely to get a mitigated sentence.

But her husband ‘Etuate has had two previous fraud convictions.

In 2004, as a serving Tongan MP, he was convicted and fined in Utah for two counts of illegal use of a birth certificate in the United States.

And in 2015 ‘Etuate Lavulavu was convicted of bribing voters and stripped of his then ministerial portfolio as well as his parliamentary seat.

In the wake of that fiasco, ‘Akosita Lavulavu, contested and won the by-election for her husband’s former Vava’u 16 seat becoming Tonga’s 5th ever woman MP.

She retained her seat in the 2017 election but was stripped of her ministerial portfolios in 2018 by the then prime minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva after she was arrested and charged with fraud alongside her husband ‘Etuate Lavulavu.

In 2019 after ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s death ‘Akosita Lavulavu switched parties and supported Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa’s successful bid for the prime ministership and was subsequently given ministerial portfolios for infrastructure and tourism in his new cabinet.

According to Kalafi Moala, for the three fraud convictions, the Lavulavus are facing a maximum penalty of over seven years in jail.

SOURCE: RNZ PACIFIC/PACNEWS

Japanese PM Suga asks Pacific islands to help realise free, open Indo-Pacific

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Japanese PM Suga asks Pacific islands to help realise free, open Indo-Pacific

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held separate phone talks Tuesday with the leaders of six Pacific island nations, calling for their cooperation in Japan’s efforts to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific region, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Suga offered the six nations — Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Vanuatu — Japan’s continued support in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, while pledging to hold a “safe and secure” Tokyo Olympics in less than a month, the ministry said.

The phone talks came ahead of a virtual summit that Japan will hold Friday with 18 Pacific island nations and territories including Australia and New Zealand.

The prime minister also discussed with the six Pacific island leaders Japan’s aid for infrastructure projects as well as renewable energy, while asking for their support in Tokyo’s efforts to secure the return of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, the ministry said.

SOURCE: KYODO/PACNEWS

Coca Cola Fiji moves to buy Fiji brewer outright

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Coca Cola Fiji moves to buy Fiji brewer outright

Coca Cola Fiji Limited (CCEP Fiji) has moved to buy brewer Paradise Beverages Fiji outright.

This follows CCEP Fiji’s acquisition of 57,323 (equivalent to 0.55%) ordinary shares in PBF from Platinum Insurance Limited’s (PIL).

This acquisiton means CCEP Fiji now holds 90.14% of PBF’s shares.

In a statement today it says it now can: “proceed with the compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares that it does not hold to increase its ownership to 100%. As required by section 265 of the Companies Act, the compulsory acquisition will be for the same cash price as that offered to PIL, being FJD$25.21(US$12.06) per PBF share.”

CCEP says the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) and the South Pacific Stock Exchange (SPX) have approved this move. SPX has suspended trading of PBF stocks.

Following completion of the compulsory acquisition process, PBF will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCEP Fiji and will be de-listed from the SPX.

PBF Tuesday declared a dividend of FJ$0.50(US$0.25) per share. CCEP Fiji says “regardless of when shareholders opt in under the compulsory acquisition process, all acquisitions will be settled from the dividend record date of 19 July 2021 so shareholders still receive the PBF dividend.”

Paradise Beverages manufactures Fiji Bitter, Fiji Gold, Vonu beer, Tribe and other pre-mixed drinks, plus vodka, whiskey, gin and rum lines, plus Vailima in Samoa.

SOURCE: ISLANDS BUSINESS/PACNEWS

Yato, Ravai and Mawi to join Flying Fijians team three days before first test

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Yato, Ravai and Mawi to join Flying Fijians team three days before first test

Some players will join the Flying Fijians camp just three days before the first test against the All Blacks next weekend.

At the moment it’s unclear whether Frank Lomani, Teti Tela and Moses Sorovi will join the squad as they’re still stuck in Australia due to the latest COVID-19 situation in Queensland.

Head Coach Vern Cotter says for those in New Zealand they’ll all come together and train as a team

“Eroni Mawi left the UK late we couldn’t get an early release for him, Peni Ravai and Peceli Yato came out of France late so they’ll join us on Tuesday so the majority of the group except for those three will join us on Tuesday, we are still waiting for the three players from Australia, so effectively we will not have the whole squad together until Wednesday next week before the test which is not ideal”.

Cotter, however, says they’re dealing with professional players and he trust their abilities to adapt in the present situation.

He also says the players and management will have to work according to what they can control.

“We can’t change it so we are not worrying about it we just trying to maximize the time we have and be as positive as we can about it and the players are doing that as well and I admire them for it we know what the situation is and it can’t change so we are working within those boundaries to be as effective as possible”.

Tailevu halfback Simione Kuruvoli is now in the running to wear the number nine jersey in the first test against the All Blacks.

Kuruvoli is the only halfback in camp with the Flying Fijians in New Zealand at the moment.

Two halfbacks, Frank Lomani and Moses Sorovi along with Teti Tela are still stuck in Australia due to the current COVID-19 situation.

Cotter says it’s unclear when the trio will join the rest of the team in New Zealand.

Cotter says if nothing changes then Kuruvoli will have to step up.

“The Australian/New Zealand Trans-Tasman travel bubble is stopped at the moment so these three players are in Australia and can’t get to us, that’s a concern and Simi(Kuruvoli) might have to play a big role as a local player, young player in the first test match if we can’t get these players out of Queensland”.

The national coach adds he is impressed with local players Kuruvoli, Onisi Ratave and Vinaya Habosi.

“We’ve got a couple of players coming from the sevens so we’re having a look at them and they’re obviously very fit and very fast and they’ve just got to fit in to our 15s game”.

Meanwhile, the Flying Fijians’ test match against the All Blacks will be one for the books for most of the players who will be donning the national jumper next month.

Cotter says whatever happens in the 160 minutes of rugby will be beneficial for the team moving forward.

He says they will take the first test match as a bit of an experiment to test the strength of the opponent and the second match will be strategic.

“So the first test we play we’ll be looking at ourselves where we can perform to put them under pressure, we will be looking of course attentively at their midfield position If it’s David havili whose preferred position is fullback, we know they’re going to experiment, we know they’re under pressure, they lost two games last year against Australia and Argentina”

Fiji will play back to back matches against New Zealand in Dunedin on July 10th, and a week later in Hamilton.

SOURCE: FBC SPORTS/PACNEWS

Māori All Blacks excited by addition of fans for Manu Samoa doubleheader at Mount Smart Stadium

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Māori All Blacks excited by addition of fans for Manu Samoa doubleheader at Mount Smart Stadium

The Māori All Blacks are relishing what is set to be a strong turnout at Mount Smart Stadium for their second match against Manu Samoa, a week after both sides missed out on such a spectacle in Wellington.

The two teams were forced to go about their business on a wet and windy night in the capital last Saturday without any fans to spur them on, thanks to a Covid-19 scare forcing the region to move to alert Level 2.

But this weekend in Auckland, barring an unexpected virus-looking spanner thrown in the works, the Māori and Samoa will be the first on-field act at Mount Smart for a special international doubleheader. Following that, the All Blacks – in their first test match of 2021 – take on Tonga.

A sea of black, red and blue is set to engulf the ground, and assistant coach Chris Gibbes expects a great turnout of supporters for all four teams playing.

“It’s like us with our whānau and our friends – we’re celebrating Māori rugby and we’re expecting quite a few people to come watch us as well. The All Blacks are where it’s at in terms of a drawcard, but there’s a lot to get behind around the other teams as well,” he says.

“Rugby’s one part of Māori rugby, but it’s actually the cultural connection – the whakapapa, the wairua, the stuff that we really value and we’re touching on that every day – it’s all part of what we do and everything we’re about.”

The fans in attendance this weekend in south-east Auckland will be as much a driving force in both side’s performances as the cultural practices and technical improvements they have employed in the lead-up.

Māori halfback Bryn Hall says the outbreak provided the playing group and staff an opportunity to connect better as a group.

“I thought Clayton and our coaching staff did a great job around that. We had a couple of Uber Eats which was obviously great for the boys, they love that. It’s always great being in camp … last year we only got that one week together against Moana Pasifika,” he says.

“We’ve had a lot of continuity the last three or four years with having the same group, so it’s really helped us in congested weeks.”

However, the Māori are not losing sight of the needed rugby-centric preparation following an underwhelming first hit-out. Head coach Clayton McMillan along with captain Ash Dixon were blunt in their assessment of the team in their 35-10 victory, saying they were good in parts, but lacked detail. The team struggled to hold onto the ball early and when they began stringing phases together, their attack often misfired.

Gibbes says they have two clear focuses ahead of this weekend’s clash that connects to the fabric of who they are as a team.

“We left a lot out there so the message this week has been showing our Māori rugby flair, we know that you’ve got to do your due diligence around your pre throughout the week. But we want to go out on the weekend and we want to throw the ball around and show our people what it really is to play Māori rugby,” he says.

“With us, it’s about combinations, playing and time together, there’s a bit of skill factor that goes into that but I think there’s also a couple of clear focuses for us around making sure we get the possession we want on our terms, and we look after it. I know that sounds like a generalisation around rugby but that’s actually what we need to do in order for us to play the style of rugby that we want to play … we’ve got to get the basic stuff done really well.”.

SOURCE: STUFF NZ/PACNEWS

‘He’s absolutely in the mix’: Meninga wants Luai to choose Australia over Samoa

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‘He’s absolutely in the mix’: Meninga wants Luai to choose Australia over Samoa

Mal Meninga will reach out to Jarome Luai and make his feelings known about why he should play for Australia – not Samoa – with the livewire five-eighth now “absolutely” on the Kangaroos’ radar.

Meninga did not want to get dragged into a team selection story, especially with so much interest in whether Nathan Cleary had leapfrogged incumbent and future Australian captain Daly Cherry-Evans for the No. 7 jersey.

But the coach said he wants Luai to reconsider his international stance and commit to Australia, especially if he felt passionate enough to represent NSW in Origin.

Under the game’s international eligibility laws, players can play Origin and still commit to a tier-two nation on the world stage, which in Luai’s case is NSW and Samoa. The only players banned from Origin are those who represent tier-one nations, England and New Zealand.

Luai, Brian To’o and now Josh Papalii have all expressed their desire to play for Samoa in the World Cup at the end of the year.

Luai told the Herald last month: “When it comes to international footy you should play for who you feel most drawn to. I was brought up in a Samoan church and household, and I feel close to my Samoan culture. I definitely think we have a lot of talent, and I want to do well for them.”

Pressed on what would he do if Meninga asked him to wear the green and gold, Luai said: “I don’t really know. All I want is for Samoa to do well.”

While Meninga appreciated Papalii wanting to give back to Samoa at the back end of his career, he said it was a different story with Luai who was 24 and only starting out.

Meninga’s long-term fear is what happens to the strength of the Kangaroos, especially if Australian hopefuls miss out on Origin because of players who later commit to the Pacific nations.

“Josh is now 31 and he’s at the back end of his career, and he’s earned the respect and right to choose who he wants to play for,” Meninga told the Herald.

“But Jarome is at the start of his career and I’d like to think he will make himself available for Australia.

“I’ve made it known in the past if a player can play Origin, they should then make themselves available for Australia.

“I’m keen to speak with Jarome and let him know what my feelings and thoughts are about the international game. I’m also keen to hear his thoughts and reasons for wanting to play for Samoa. I can tell you he’s absolutely in the mix for Australia.”

There are huge doubts about the World Cup being staged at the end of the year in England, but should it go ahead, just seven Queenslanders at this stage would make Meninga’s final 23-man cut. If the World Cup is cancelled, Australia would likely play end-of-season Tests against nations like New Zealand and Tonga.

Blues star Cleary has all but leapfrogged Cherry-Evans in the halfback race with Cherry-Evans seen as a viable five-eighth option alongside Munster.

Cherry-Evans is a brilliant ball-runner and one of the most experienced and senior players in the game, but has struggled with the extra responsibility in a struggling Maroons side.

Cherry-Evans, Munster and Cleary, provided the shoulder injury he suffered in game two of the Origin series is OK, are all expected to push deep into the NRL finals with Manly, Melbourne and Penrith respectively.

SOURCE: SMH/PACNEWS

Japanese PM assures PNG of continued support

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Japanese PM assures PNG of continued support

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says his country will support Papua New Guinea’s electrification programme, provide construction equipment for road development, and help with its emergency K1 billion (US$284.6 million) support loan.

He gave this assurance to Prime Minister James Marape during a Virtual Online Bilateral Summit between the two leaders Tuesday.

“As part of our cooperation, we will move forward with the electrification progression,” PM Suga said.

“The Japanese Government has also decided on the provision of construction equipment for road maintenance and improvement.

“I hope that our emergency support loan (signed for in March 2021) will contribute to economic recovery in Papua New Guinea.”

PM Suga also asked for PNG’s cooperation in operation of Japanese fishing vessels, collection of remains of Japanese soldiers killed during WWII, and participation of Japanese businesses in the Papua LNG project.

PM Marape thanked PM Suga, the people and Government of Japan, and the Japanese Emperor “for continuing to ensure that PNG remains a permanent friend of Japan”.

“We’re blessed abundantly with the good relationship we have with the people of Japan and the Government of Japan thus far,” he said.

“Lately, in our COVID-19 induced hard times, Japanese Government and people have stepped in, to assist us.

“Let me make special mention of Foreign Minister Motegi, who visited us last year.

“He was the first foreign affairs minister or leader to visit Papua New Guinea during COVID-19.

“On the back of that visit, your Government, your people, gave us over K1 billion worth of direct support to our Budget.

“That was able to keep us going during this tough time, and I very much appreciate this on behalf of the people of Papua New Guinea.”

PM Marape also thanked Japan for COVID-19 support to PNG.

He announced that PNG’s second-biggest airport at Nadzab, Morobe, funded by the Japanese Government, would be named as “PNG-Japan Friendship Airport”.

PM Marape thanked Japan for funding the electricity grid from Yonki in Eastern Highlands to Lae, and various other assistance in education and others.

“Let me thank you (Japan) for all your interventions,” he said.

PM Marape said he would participate in the Japan-Pacific islands Leaders’ Meeting (PALM) on Friday.

He also assured Japan that PNG would offer its support in issues concerning North Korea and other international matters, and would assist Japan in the collection of remains of WWII Japanese soldiers.

PM Suga said Japan would be hosting the Olympic Games and Paralympics next month and looked forward to PNG’s participation.

PM Marape said Japan was an important partner to PNG by buying LNG, tuna, agriculture produce, timber and others “and we look forward to a continual warm relationship with Japan going on into the future” .

SOURCE: PNG GOVT/PACNEWS

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