By Lydia Lewis and Scott Waide of RNZ

Papua New Guinea prime minister James Marape says the increased United States security involvement in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is driven primarily by the need to build up the PNG Defence Force and not US-China geopolitics.

Last night, despite calls for more public consultation, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Defence Win Bakri Daki penned the Bilateral Defence Co-operation and Shiprider agreements at Apec Haus in Port Moresby.

PNG Prime Minister Marape said the milestone agreements were “important for the continued partnership of Papua New Guinea and the United States”.

 “It’s mutually beneficial, it secures our national interests,” Marape said.

He said the penning of the new defence pact elevates prior security arrangements with the US under the 1989 Status of Forces Agreement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Papua New Guinea’s Defence Minister Win Bakri Daki signing the pact. Photo / RNZ

Despite public criticism, Marape maintains the agreements are constitutional and will benefit PNG.

He said it has taken “many, many months and weeks” and passed through legal experts to reach this point.

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The Shiprider agreement will act as a vital mechanism to tackle illegal fishing and drug trafficking alongside the US, which is a big issue PNG faces in its waters, Marape said.

“I have a lot of illegal shipping engagements in the waters of Papua New Guinea. Unregulated, unmonitored transactions take place, including drug trafficking,” he said.

“This new Shiprider agreement now gives Papua New Guinea’s shipping authority, the Defence Force and Navy full knowledge of what is happening in waters, something PNG has not had since 1975,” Marape said.

Secretary of State Blinken echoed those sentiments and stressed the US is committing to growing all aspects of the relationship.

“Papua New Guinea is playing a critical role in shaping our future,” Blinken told the media.

He said the defence pact was drafted by both nations as “equal and sovereign partners”.

It is set to enhance PNG’s Defence Force capabilities, making it easy for both forces to train together.

Blinken also stressed that the US will be transparent.

For all their reassurances, both leaders steered clear of any mention of US troop deployments in PNG, despite Marape having alluded to it in the lead-up to the signing.

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape. Photo / PNG PM Media

Reactions to the security pact

Though celebrated by the governments of the US and PNG as a milestone security agreement, the run-up to the signing on Monday was marred by protests.

Students from universities around the country, including three of the largest institutions, the University of Papua New Guinea, the University of Goroka and the University of Technology in Lae, called for greater transparency from the PNG government around the defence pact.

Students from the University of Goroka stage an early-morning protest against the signing of the PNG-US defence agreement.

The student president at the University of Technology, Kenzie Walipi, had called for the government to explain exactly what was in the deal ahead of the signing.

“If such an agreement is going to affect us in any way, we have to be made aware,” Walipi said.

Just before the pen hit the paper last night, Marape again sought to reassure the public.

“This signing in no way state or form terminates us from relating to other defence co-operations we have or other defence relationships or bilateral relationships that we have,” Marape said.

He added “this is a two-way highway”.

Students at the University of Papua New Guinea ended a forum late last night and proceeded to block off the main entrance to the university as Prime Minister James Marape and Anthony Blinken signed the agreement.

They are maintaining a call for transparency and for a proper debate on the decision.

Hours before the signing, they presented a petition to the Planning Minister, Renbo Paita, who received the demands on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Students at the University of Technology met late into the night. Students posted live videos on Facebook of the forum as the signing happened in Port Moresby.

The potential impact of the agreement signed in Port Moresby overnight on PNG and the Pacific will become more apparent once the full texts are made available online, as promised by both the US and PNG.

- RNZ