The Papua New Guinea foreign secretary, Evoa Lalatute, says his country should place more emphasis on issues related to the border with Indonesia.
Speaking to new members of parliament, Mr Lalatute said for the sake of internal security PNG had to be aware of the possible spill-over effect of developments in Papua and Ambon.
At last year's bilateral talks in Milne Bay, PNG agreed to help repatriate Papuans who had fled Indonesia after a military crackdown on separatists.
Mr Lalatute also says the new prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, may attend next week's Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji after his predecessor, Sir Mekera Morauta, missed the annual gathering in the past three years.
He also says a delegation is due from East Timor later this year to study PNG's experiences after independence and to look at the laws governing mining and petroleum.
The Australian prime minister, John Howard, is scheduled to visit Port Moresby next week - the first foreign leader to so since Sir Michael's election on Monday.
