Papua New Guineans to start serving in Aussie defence

Papua New Guineans will commence serving in Australia's defense force within the next year, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. The enlistment of PNG nationals is the first project under the Pukpuk Treaty, a trans-Torres defence pact. Speaking alongside his PNG counterpart Elias Kapavore in Port Moresby, Marles affirmed their commitment to initiate recruitment in PNG to join the Australian Defense Force.

"We are both very committed to ensuring that by this time next year, recruitment is well and truly underway from PNG into the Australian Defence Force," Marles stated. Initially, the numbers will be small, but over the next decade, the goal is to scale up to thousands of personnel. The recruitment decisions will be finalized within the next two months before an Australia-PNG ministerial forum scheduled for October.

In recent years, Australia's defense ranks have also been opened to New Zealanders, citizens of Canada, the UK, and the US residing in Australia. The Pukpuk Treaty, which took effect in July and named after the PNG term for crocodile in Tok Pisin, establishes Australia as the third defense ally alongside the US and New Zealand. The treaty also entails infrastructure development, joint exercises, efforts to enhance interoperability between the forces, and permitting forces to operate in each other's countries.

Marles is currently on a two-day visit to Australia's northern neighbors, visiting Honiara on Monday to meet with the new Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale.