III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 609 

Recognizing that for 45 years, Papua New Guinea and the United States 

have shared a close friendship based on shared goals of stability, prosperity, and peace in the region, and expressing the sense of the Senate 

that the United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and 

active partner in the Pacific. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 8, 2020 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Ms. HIRONO) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing that for 45 years, Papua New Guinea and the 

United States have shared a close friendship based on 

shared goals of stability, prosperity, and peace in the 

region, and expressing the sense of the Senate that the 

United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, 

and active partner in the Pacific. 

Whereas Papua New Guinea became independent on September 16, 1975; 

Whereas Papua New Guinea is a valued security partner of 

the United States, participating in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, which 

sends members of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force 


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•SRES 609 IS 

to professional military education courses in the United 

States; 

Whereas the United States has partnered with Papua New 

Guinea and Australia to modernize Papua New Guinea 

Defence Force’s Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island 

to assist Papua New Guinea in defending its sovereignty 

and maritime rights; 

Whereas the United States Government supports cooperative 

activities with Papua New Guinea, including sustainable 

fisheries management, HIV/AIDS prevention, and care, 

and those authorized by the Asia Reassurance Initiative 

Act; 

Whereas section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization 

Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92) expands 

the number of countries that receive assistance under the 

Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, including 

Papua New Guinea; 

Whereas Papua New Guinea hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Chief Executive Officer 

(CEO) Summit in November 2018; and 

Whereas Palm Desert, California and Port Moresby, Papua 

New Guinea are sister cities, a broad-based, long-term 

partnership to promote peace through mutual respect, 

understanding, and cooperation centered on people-topeople exchanges: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends Papua New Guinea on success3 fully maintaining a parliamentary democracy since 

4 independence, and its ongoing efforts to deliver 


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1 greater transparency in infrastructure development 

2 and accountability in government; 

3 (2) supports and affirms the full implementa4 tion of provisions of the Asia Reassurance Initiative 

5 Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–409) with regard to 

6 deepening its cooperation with Papua New Guinea in 

7 areas of mutual interest, including fisheries and ma8 rine resource conservation, environmental challenges 

9 and resilience, global health, development and trade, 

10 people-to-people ties, and continuing United States 

11 assistance, as appropriate, to support the rule of 

12 law, good governance, and economic development; 

13 (3) supports the Papua New Guinea Electrifica14 tion Partnership in cooperation with Australia, 

15 Japan, and New Zealand, a project to connect 70 

16 percent of the population to electricity by 2030, and 

17 the executive branch’s commitment to principles18 based, sustainable infrastructure development that is 

19 transparent, non-discriminatory, environmentally re20 sponsible, promotes fair and open competition, up21 holds robust standards, meets the genuine needs of 

22 the people of Papua New Guinea, and avoids 

23 unsustainable debt burdens; and 

24 (4) recognizes Papua New Guinea’s participa25 tion in multilateral institutions, including the United 


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1 Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, 

2 Asian Development Bank, International Atomic En3 ergy Agency, the World Trade Organization, the 

4 Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental 

5 Programme, as well as the Pacific Islands Forum; 

6 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, 

7 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 

8 Regional Forum (ARF), the Pacific Community, and 

9 the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program. 

Æ 


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