Fo r eign Af f ai r s
OVERVIEW
With Independence came responsibility in the international arena. The fledgling sovereign nation had to make up its mind about foreign affairs. When to be friendly. When to be cool. These decisions could have a profound influence at home. Very sensibly the first Foreign Minister Sir Albert Maori Kiki announced that “Papua New Guinea wishes to establish friendly relations with as many countries as possible and to be hostile to none.” This stance was called 'universalism'. It gave PN G a breathing space.
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T he first white paper on Foreign A ffairs was seen through parliament in 1981 by then Foreign Minister Noel Levi. H e summed up the new approach as “active and selective engagement.” T his orientation, for it is hardly a policy, enabled PN G to continue with universalism while pursuing specific interests. O ver the years it had tended to keep the Soviets at arms length while welcoming the C hinese. T he West was favoured over the East. Indonesia was treated with caution. A s for the old colonial power A ustralia, PN G was anxious to be seen not as a stooge but as a natural friend. It is significant that Papua N ew Guinea did not have to win Independence from A ustralia. Relations with A ustralia were amicable, often based on personal ties. C ertain elements of A ustralian popular culture, beer, pies and rugby had been welcomed by PN G . A ustralian political institutions and administrative structures were left in place. U nlike other colonial powers A ustralia was a close neighbour. PN G and A ustralia were affected by the same strategic and regional issues. In the mid to late 80’s a series of formal agreements were made which remain today: a treaty with Indonesia, membership of A SE A N ( A ssociation of South East A sian N ations), a joint declaration with A ustralia and a pan-Melanesian pact. Together with membership of the U nited N ations, the Commonwealth, the South Pacific Forum and the South Pacific Commission these are the main planks of PN G Foreign A ffairs. PN G has close international relations with over sixty countries. Twenty seven nations have a diplomatic mission in PN G , over half of them European.