The Nuship Rochus Lokinap, a guardian class patrol boat, was handed over by the Royal Australian Navy in Perth and departed for Darwin for inspection and maintenance and is due to arrive in Port Moresby on April 14, The National newspaper reported.

 

PNG Defence attache to Canberra, Colonel Mark Goina, standing in for PNG High Commissioner John Kali, thanked the Australian government for its support towards the PNGDF under the Defence cooperation programme (DCP).

 

He said the PNG and Australian governments had agreed on a long-term comprehensive strategic and economic partnership to elevate bilateral relations across key pillars: strong democracies for a stable future; close friendship and enduring ties; economic partnership for prosperity; strategic cooperation for security and stability; social and human development; and "near neighbours and global partners".

 

Goina said the PNG-Australia defence relationship was a strong and enduring security partnership, founded on geographical, historical, and cultural ties and values with a history of military cooperation, recognising that regional peace and security was enhanced by the inter-operability of "our defence forces".