Anthony Albanese walks ‘side-by-side’ PNG PM James Marape on Kokoda Track

Anthony Albanese has set off on a two-day hike of Kokoda Trail alongside PNG leader James Marape, describing the feat as a chance to honour hundreds of fallen Australian soldiers while cementing ties with Port Moresby.

PNG leader James Marape and Anthony Albanese. Picture: PMO

Anthony Albanese has set off on a two-day hike of Kokoda Track alongside Papua New Guinean leader James Marape, describing the feat as a chance to honour hundreds of fallen Australian soldiers while cementing ties with PNG.

The Prime Minister plans to finish the walk at a memorial in Isurava on Anzac Day, where he will pay tribute to the 625 Australians who lost their lives in battles against the Japanese along the Kokoda Track.

Mr Albanese arrived in Port Moresby on Tuesday, where crowds of locals welcomed the Australian leader and crowned him with a traditional headdress.

Mr Marape and Mr Albanese will camp together at a battle site along the trail on Tuesday night before making the climb to Isurava.

Mr Albanese said that the relationship with PNG had “never been stronger” and that Mr Marape had acknowledged Australia as the security partner of choice in the region, over China.

“Prime Minister Marape reaffirmed last night at the official state dinner that was held here … that PNG’s preferred security partner is, of course, Australia,” he told ABC.

“We signed an updated agreement in December. This is a relationship that has never been closer, as symbolised by the fact that we’ll be walking side-by-side down the Kokoda Track the next couple of days in the lead-up to Thursday where we will be at the Isurava memorial.

“It’s an economic relationship, a social relationship through things like rugby league and through the connections that we have, very close personal connections, and it’s also about our defence and security. We want the Pacific family to look after security in this region.”

In a speech on Monday night, Mr Albanese told Mr Marape and other guests that Australia and PNG had fought alongside each other in WWII and would continue to “stand tall together”.

He said the Australians that had died on the Kokoda Track “literally saved our continent”. “This was an extraordinary feat. The Japanese had a much larger force landed at the north and headed south to Port Moresby here and had they captured Port Moresby, they would have been very close to the Australian mainland,” he said.

“And the Australians showed sacrifice and courage and extraordinary valour during what was a battle that went over many weeks. And it will be an honour to pay tribute to them, but also to show respect to all those men and women who served in the Australian Defence Force, but before then, and of course today, when it comes to Anzac Day on Thursday, which is a very solemn and sacred day for Australians.”