The Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Mr Alexander Downer, visited the Peace Monitoring Group on Bougainville in the week before Christmas. Minister Downer was on a whistlestop tour to Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

While in Bougainville the Minister received a brief from Commander PMG, Brigadier Justin Kelly, on the work of the multinational peace monitoring force and the current state of play in Bougainville.

Minister Downer also met with representatives of the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby, representatives of the PNG Government and Defence Force, and Bougainville leaders.

He toured the island of Bougainville by Iriquois, courtesy of 171 Operational Support Squadron, meeting with members of the PMG in Buka, Loloho and Buin. The Minister also opened a newly constructed school in Asitai and was feted by the local chief.

Members of Liaison Team Buka organised a Melanesian-style feast for the Minister and Land Commander Major-General Peter Abigail, who was also in Bougainville to visit the troops and to receive in-country briefings on the current state of the operation.

The Minister and the LCOMD met with local dignitaries, including Mr Joseph Kabui and the commander of the local PNGDF contingent.

The coming together of PNG officials and Bougainville leaders under the auspices of the PMG is a clear recognition of the success of the peacekeeping mission that began with the Truce Monitoring Group in 1997.

By CAPT Lorraine Mulholland