US and Papua New Guinea negotiate defence agreement

Negotiators from the US State Department and Papua New Guinea's Department of Foreign Affairs met in Honolulu, Hawaii, from Monday to Friday to discuss a defence co-operation agreement (DCA), the state department said on Saturday.

When complete and signed, the agreement "will be the foundational framework around which our two nations will enhance security cooperations and further strengthen our bilateral relationship," the state department said.

The agreement will also improve the capacity of Papua New Guinea's Defence Force and increase stability and security in the region, the department said.

Two weeks ago, the Philippines granted the United States greater access to its military bases.