26/07/2026
๐ฃ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ช๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ
Iran is unlikely to easily accept US demands, particularly because of its strategic relationships with ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ. Reports suggest that Iran may be receiving satellite imagery and intelligence support that could assist in identifying US military bases and strategic infrastructure across the Middle East. However, the full extent of this assistance remains disputed.
These tensions could continue into ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ and affect global fuel prices, shipping costs, inflation, food prices and the wider global economy on a scale not experienced in recent years.
The Middle East produces approximately ๐ฏ๐ฌ% ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑโ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ถ๐น. In addition, a significant percentage of global LNG and petroleum trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Any prolonged disruption to oil and LNG production, export terminals or shipping routes could therefore have serious consequences for countries around the world, including Papua New Guinea.
Iran is also accused of supporting regional armed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Attacks involving Israel, threats to oil-producing nations, shipping disruptions in the Red Sea and instability around the Strait of Hormuz could further destabilise the Middle East and interrupt global trade and energy supplies.
At the same time, the ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ธ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐จ๐ฆโ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ and growing conflict involving countries allied with the United States are creating greater global economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐จ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐ช๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ:
๐ญ. ๐๐ข ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ
Our State Negotiating Team must not be pressured into rushing decisions concerning the ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ก๐, ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐, ๐ฃโ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ก๐ and other major petroleum projects.
PNG has demonstrated a strong track record through the PNG LNG Project and remains a comparatively lower geopolitical and security risk.
Our security challenges do not involve missiles, bombs, drones or attacks on international energy infrastructure like those currently affecting parts of the Middle East.
This strengthens PNGโs position as a ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด-๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป for international energy investment.
Our negotiators must use this advantage to secure:
โข Better fiscal and taxation terms;
โข Stronger national participation;
โข More employment opportunities for Papua New Guineans;
โข Greater landowner benefits; and
โข Maximum long-term value for the people of PNG.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐, ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐.
๐ฎ. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ
PNG must begin replacing a significant portion of its fossil-fuel transport fleet with electric vehicles, especially government, corporate, public-transport and airport fleets.
This will reduce our exposure to imported fuel-price increases, strengthen national energy security and help keep transport and operational costs under control.
Government agencies, companies and individuals should also prioritise qualified PNG-owned suppliers such as ๐ข๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, an RTA-licensed local vehicle dealer.
๐ฆ๐จ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฆ:
โข Creating employment opportunities for Papua New Guineans;
โข Keeping more kina circulating within PNG;
โข Developing local EV maintenance and charging expertise;
โข Supporting communities and people back home;
โข Empowering young people to say ๐ก๐ข ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒโand ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ, ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ฏ๐; and
โข Building a stronger and more independent national economy.
When Papua New Guineans buy from locally owned businesses, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ก๐. That is how we create employment, strengthen local businesses and grow our economy.
Higher fuel prices, increased living costs, supply-chain disruptions and wider economic pressure may remain major risks in the coming months.
๐ฃ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ง, ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฌ, ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ช๐ก๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ, ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ.
