Photo credit: March 12, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
The Russian Federation has declared that it is happy and willing to supply the Sputnik V vaccine to Papua New Guinea.
It said that once the pandemic is over, Prime Minister James Marape will be welcomed to Russia.
The Russian government is negotiating with Papua New Guinea to create a reciprocal visa-waiver deal.
This was said by Ludmila Vorobyova, Russian Federation's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, during an online symposium attended by leading Russian and Papua New Guinean academics, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lawmakers, and community leaders.
The symposium was opened by Nicholai Miklouho-Maclay, a descendant of the world-famous explorer of the same name, founder and director of the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation, and head of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Research Centre for South Pacific and South-East Asia, Australia and Oceania Institute of Oriental Studies.
He thanked the symposium attendees for their contributions to the development and deepening of Russia-Papua New Guinea ties.
“We aim for comprehensive cooperation within a whole range of projects which can be implemented in spite of pandemic,” Vorobyova said. “We have a unique opportunity to hold dialogue which we hope to continue our projects, considering the planned visits of the Prime Minister of PNG, as well as our cooperation in healthcare, humanitarian and cultural spheres. The Russian Federation is open for cooperation to deliver the Sputnik V vaccine and we need to strengthen bilateral commercial, economic, cultural, scientific, educational and humanitarian cooperation.”
She expressed the expectation that Prime Minister James Marape would be able to visit Russia as soon as the situation permits.
Ms Vorobyova suggested that the parties sign a memorandum of understanding on trade and investment, as well as a visa-waiver deal.
On behalf of Marape and the government, Northern Governor Gary Juffa expressed willingness to work with Russia in a variety of fields.
Russia, he said, has enormous molecular, historical, and cultural diversity, similar to PNG.
“We are happy to welcome investors from Russia to cooperate and develop bilateral relations,”
Juffa said. “Our motto is “friend to all and foe to no one. We are friends to all nations and we are trying to use this ideology in our cooperation with other countries.”
As soon as all COVID constraints are lifted, Sir Peter Barter, president of the Melanesian Tourist Services tour agency, said he is happy to host Russian visitors and support the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation's mission.
Reference:
Post-Courier (24 May 2021). “Russia set to supply PNG With Vaccine.”
