Relationship dossier
Australia
Papua New Guinea
Relationship assessment
A close Australia–Papua New Guinea partnership anchored in security, development and regional cooperation.
Australia toward Papua New Guinea
+75Australia provides substantial development assistance to Papua New Guinea and cooperates with its government on security, policing, border management and economic development. The 2023 bilateral security agreement deepened this cooperation.
Papua New Guinea toward Australia
+70Papua New Guinea cooperates with Australia through the 2023 bilateral security agreement and sustained government engagement on security, policing, border management and development. Its government also works with Australia on regional issues of mutual concern.
Overall relationship
+75The relationship is a durable and broad partnership, supported by a formal security treaty, substantial Australian development engagement and regular cooperation on practical regional and domestic priorities. Australia’s much greater economic and institutional resources make the partnership asymmetric, but Papua New Guinea remains an active counterpart in security and regional policy.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Australia and Papua New Guinea have a close, sustained partnership built around security, economic and development cooperation. The two governments maintain a long-standing security treaty, Australia is a major development partner, and bilateral cooperation includes border management and policing. The relationship also reflects Papua New Guinea’s central importance to Australian regional policy, alongside practical coordination on shared challenges.
Key developments
Australia and Papua New Guinea signed a bilateral security agreement, expanding cooperation on security and policing.
The two governments concluded a bilateral security treaty, formalising close security cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of commitments under recent security arrangements are evolving.
- The balance between Australian assistance and Papua New Guinea’s policy priorities varies across sectors.