Global Courant 2023-05-13 12:38:33
SYDNEY – Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko of Papua New Guinea (PNG) said on Friday he was stepping down as minister amid controversy over the cost and size of the country’s delegation to King Charles III’s coronation in London.
Mr Tkachenko said in a statement that he was “standing aside” after discussions with Prime Minister James Marape, who would take up the portfolio. He remains in parliament.
“I want to make sure that recent events do not interfere with the official visits and summits we will be holding with all world leaders in the coming weeks,” Tkachenko said.
“I also want to ensure that the truth of this matter is cleared up and the misinformation and lies are corrected,” he added.
US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a historic visit on May 22.
On Wednesday, Mr Tkachenko said Mr Biden would sign a defense pact with PNG, which is being advocated by the US and China amid a battle for influence in the Pacific Islands region.
Mr Tkachenko was heavily involved in the negotiations with the US.
Mr Marape said in a statement on Friday evening that he would take over oversight of preparations for the arrival of Mr Biden, Mr Modi and more than a dozen Pacific island leaders.
He commends Mr Tkachenko for putting the national interest first.
Media and online news sites in PNG, a Pacific island member of the Commonwealth, have been rife with insults and criticism over the travel expenses of a large 30-person PNG delegation since Saturday’s coronation at London’s Westminster Abbey, with many saying the money could have been better spent on hospitals.
Each delegate had an allowance of 50,000 kina (S$19,000) to cover hotels and airfare.
Mr Marape also said he wanted to apologize to Mr Tkatchenko’s family, and in particular to his daughter Savannah, for what he called “the traumatic experience of recent days”.
“No woman deserves to be treated the way Savannah has been treated in recent days,” he said.
Mr Tkachenko’s daughter, who accompanied him on the trip, has become a focus of anger after posting a TikTok video about luxury shopping before boarding a flight in Singapore.