McKinnon Leaves for PNG Today

New Zealand's relationship with Papua New Guinea, bilateral issues and the Bougainville peace process will be on the agenda when Foreign Minister Don McKinnon meets with Prime Minister Bill Skate, and other senior ministers this week.

Mr McKinnon leaves New Zealand this evening and will arrive in Port Moresby Tuesday morning.

On Thursday Mr McKinnon is scheduled to travel to Bougainville to meet with the Premier of the Bougainville Transitional Government, Gerard Sinato, and other Bougainville leaders. The Bougainville peace process and the Burnham Declaration will be on the agenda.

Mr McKinnon said the PNG Government were reported to be considering New Zealand as one of three possible places to hold a new round of peace talks between the PNG Government and Bougainville groups. He confirmed that no final decision on where the talks would be held has been made.

"New Zealand's offer of assistance, to both the PNG Government and the Bougainville groups to bring an end to this damaging and long term dispute, still stands," he said.

"I will be giving further undertakings to the leaders in Port Moresby and Bougainville that if requested, we will do all we can to assist them towards a positive result."