1 Apr 2010

Emphasis on gas project in PNG PM's visit to Japan PM

6:00 pm on 1 April 2010

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister has met his Japanese counterpart to discuss bilateral issues including ExxonMobil's LNG project, investment and climate change.

The Post Courier newspaper reports that Sir Michael Somare's discussion with Prime Minister Hatoyama took place during an official visit to open the new PNG Chancery and inaugurate a second Air Niugini flight to Tokyo.

Sir Michael says Japanese interest in the multi-billion dollar liquified natural gas project is taking relations between the two countries to new heights.

He says two Japanese companies, Tokyo Electric Power and Osaka Gas, will buy more than half of the gas to be exported, worth 100 billion US dollars over 20 years.

Sir Michael also says Japan is providing support to developing countries under the Hatoyama initiative, with 15 billion US dollars over the next three years allocated to mitigating the effects of climate change.