Department of Defense Spokesman LTC Marty Meiners provided the following readout:
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner met today at the Pentagon with Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso, and his senior delegation.
The two officials discussed how the United States and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have deepened their defense and security ties to further advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, including peace, stability, and prosperity in the Pacific Islands region. They welcomed recent milestones in the U.S.-Papua New Guinea bilateral relationship, including the 2023 signing of the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), as well as Secretary Austin's historic trip in July 2023 as the first U.S. Secretary of Defense to visit Papua New Guinea. Both officials also committed to a robust agenda to deepen U.S.-PNG cooperation under the new DCA in the coming year.