Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on President Biden’s Historic Travel to Papua New Guinea

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will make an historic stop in Papua New Guinea while traveling from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima, Japan to the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney, Australia later this month. While in Papua New Guinea, President Biden will meet with Prime Minister Marape of Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island Forum leaders to follow up on the first-ever U.S.–Pacific Island Summit in Washington, DC last fall. The leaders will discuss ways to deepen cooperation on challenges critical to the region and to the United States such as combating climate change, protecting maritime resources, and advancing resilient and inclusive economic growth. As a Pacific nation, the United States has deep historical and people-to-people ties with the Pacific Islands, and this visit – the first time a sitting U.S. President has visited a Pacific Island country – further reinforces this critical partnership.

###