The European Union and Papua New Guinea share a long history of cooperation and partnership. The EU, which began in 1957 with six founding Member States and now counts 27, has been present in Papua New Guinea since 1977 through a diplomatic mission in Port Moresby and numerous collaborative programmes across the country.
Over the years, the European Union has provided Papua New Guinea with support amounting to approximately 6 billion Kina. This assistance has covered vital areas such as health, water and sanitation, education and vocational training, and research. Today, EU priorities in the country focus on forestry, climate change and biodiversity, sustainable economic development, WaSH, and good governance. The EU also supports gender equality, women’s empowerment, and civil society organisations through targeted thematic programmes.
Together, both partners are preparing for major future investments in sectors like maritime transport and water supply under the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy. This initiative seeks to bridge global investment gaps by promoting smart, clean, and secure connections in digital, energy, and transport, while also strengthening health, education, and research systems.
The EU values its long-standing partnership with Papua New Guinea, which has grown into a reliable and diversified relationship. Beyond development cooperation, the two sides are strong trading partners under the Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2009—the first of its kind in the region. Political dialogue also remains central to the partnership, allowing both parties to work together on regional and global challenges of shared concern.
