Papua New Guinea could beat Albo to meeting Trump as PNG PM targets sit down in ‘coming weeks’

Papua New Guinea says its prime minister could meet Donald Trump as soon as July, beating out Aussie PM Anthony Albanese who is still yet to go face to face with the US president.

Anthony Albanese could be beaten to a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump by tiny Pacific neighbours Papua New Guinea, with the Coalition accusing the government of not pushing hard enough to secure a similar sit-down with the President.

Papua New Guinea’s foreign affairs minister says the country’s prime minister James Marape could meet the US president as soon as July, in a move which would leave Australia red-faced following Mr Albanese’s failure to secure a face-to-face since Mr Trump’s election last year.

In an interview with the Port Moresby-based newspaper the Post-Courier this week, PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko said work was underway for Mr Marape to attend the White House to meet the president.

“We are working with the US Embassy for (the) prime minister’s presidential visit,” he said.

“This will be an opportunity for Mr Marape and President Trump to have a face-to-face meeting in the next coming weeks.”

The Coalition’s home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie said a meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Albanese had to be treated as an “urgent priority” with issues such as tariffs and the $368bn AUKUS submarine deal in play.

Papua New Guinea PM James Marape and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a joint press conference in Sydney. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

“The prime minister and his team need to show the same level of energy as Prime Minister Marape in securing a meeting with President Trump,” he said.

“Papua New Guinea are ambitious for a meeting with our closest security partner, and we should take note. This should’ve happened as soon as Anthony Albanese won his second term.”

Mr Hastie added “nothing beats face-to-face diplomacy”.

“We have great respect for our Pacific partners, and we can learn from the example set by our Papuan friends. If you want a meeting, you get active and you do the work,” he said.

“The prime minister must make a meeting with President Trump an urgent priority, and drive it himself.”

It comes after Mr Albanese declined to attend this week’s NATO summit in the Netherlands, with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles instead representing Australia.

Mr Albanese was set to meet with Mr Trump at the G7 summit in Canada last week before Mr Trump abruptly left, citing the escalating situation in the Middle East, with the prime minister instead meeting with senior US officials.

Mr Albanese was set to meet with Mr Trump at the G7 summit in Canada last week before Mr Trump abruptly left. Picture: Haiyun Jiang-Pool/Getty Images

Days later, the US launched bunker buster bombs at three Iranian nuclear sites.

A federal government spokesman said a meeting between the two was being targeted for “the earliest opportunity”.

“The prime minister has spoken to the president on multiple occasions,” he said.

“The prime minister looks forward to meeting with the president at the earliest opportunity.”

Mr Albanese and Mr Trump have spoken on the phone three times with Mr Trump previously describing their relationship as “very friendly”.

Former Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo said if current issues between Australia and the US didn’t demand an urgent meeting of leaders, “then I don’t know what does”.

“I think given the significance of our relationship … the most important outcome is to actually secure a bilateral meeting with … perhaps a meal, an extended discussion, maybe a private one-on-one in the Oval Office, and then a meeting where all the other key staff come in,” he said.

“We’ve got so many issues, just from a security point of view. So leaving aside tariffs and the like – we’ve got AUKUS … the US military infrastructure (build up) … here in Australia, if that doesn’t cry out for a dedicated meeting, not a rushed, 20-minute meeting on the sides of a summit, then I don’t know what does.”

Originally published as Papua New Guinea could beat Albo to meeting Trump as PNG PM targets sit down in ‘coming weeks’