Papua New Guinea Offers ASEAN Platform Into Melanesia, South Pacific Island Markets

By Nor Baizura Basri KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- Papua New Guinea, which is keen to become a full-fledged member of ASEAN, is offering a platform for ASEAN countries to expand their market reach into Melanesia and the South Pacific island markets. Ambassador Peter H. Ilau, who led the Papua New Guinea's senior officials meet at the 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings, said with Papua New Guinea onboard, member countries could tap the potential of these "unexplored" markets. "They not only benefit from our country's potential but also the surrounding small island nations. "For example, through Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), ASEAN members can tap the potential of the group's member countries, which also include Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands," he told Bernama in an interview here Tuesday. Ilau, who is also the Ambassador to Indonesia, was here for the 48th AMM and related meetings, which kicked off on Saturday at the Putra World Trade Centre here. "Apart from that, we (Papua New Guinea) as well as these groupings (MSG), can tap the economic benefit via the size of ASEAN, its gross domestic product, demography as well as the population size, market and trade potential, which serve as a good platform," he added. Ilau said the MSG, which also includes the Kanak liberation movement from New Caledonia (the FLNKS), has a lot of raw commodities such as agricultural products like coffee and coconut as well as seafood like tuna. Meanwhile, ASEAN members can tap into Papua New Guinea's lead industry such as oil and gas, mining and seafood, which have been among the key drivers for the growth of the country with over seven million people. Papua New Guinea, which has been the 10-member grouping's observer since 1981, expressed interest to become a full member back in 2010 and has since had a series of dialogues within the grouping. Located in the Southwestern Pacific, the country is rich in natural resources such as oil and gas. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar. -- BERNAMA