New Zealand and Papua New Guinea signed a defense cooperation agreement late Wednesday that will expand defense dialogue, training, military exercises and personnel exchanges, an official statement said.
New Zealand Defense Minister Chris Penk and his Papua New Guinea counterpart Elias Kapavore signed a Statement of Intent on Defense Cooperation for 2026-2029 in Papua New Guinea, as Wellington seeks to deepen security ties in the Pacific amid growing strategic competition and China’s growing foothold.
“PNG Defense Minister Elias Kapavore and I today signed the Statement of Intent on Defense Cooperation 2026-2029, which will further deepen our cooperation and engagement through more defense dialogue, training, exercises and personnel exchanges,” Penk said in a statement.
The signing builds on the New Zealand-Papua New Guinea Statement of Partnership 2025-2029, signed last year, which reaffirmed the two nations’ security, defense and economic ties.
“In an increasingly volatile world, Pacific nations like ours are stronger when we work closely together to respond to the complex security challenges affecting our region,” Penk added.
