Reports say Joe Biden will visit PNG in May
US President Joe Biden (C) and leaders from the Pacific Islands region pose for a photograph on the North Portico of the White House September 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. Photo: CHIP SOMODEVILLA / AFP
US President Joe Biden is reportedly planning a visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG) next month. Biden is expected to meet with PNG's Prime Minister, James Marape, and other Pacific leaders in Port Moresby, following the G7 summit in Japan. The visit would make Biden the first sitting US President to visit a Pacific Island nation, excluding US territories. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to meet with Pacific Island leaders in Port Moresby on his way to Australia. The US and PNG are finalizing a Defense Cooperation Agreement, which would enhance PNG's defense capabilities through training, infrastructure, and asset improvement. The visit is significant as Washington and Beijing continue to compete for influence across the region. The US administration has recently intensified its diplomatic efforts in the Pacific, including hosting a White House Summit with Pacific Island leaders in September 2020. However, the US Embassy in PNG declined to comment on the planned visit.