Biden to visit Papua New Guinea after G7 summit

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden will visit Papua New Guinea later this month when he returns from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima and the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney, Australia, the White House said Tuesday.

The visit will make Biden the first sitting US president to visit the Pacific islands nation.

"While in Papua New Guinea, President Biden will meet with Prime Minister Marape of Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island Forum leaders to follow up on the first-ever U.S.–Pacific Island Summit in Washington, DC last fall," spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

The two leaders will discuss ways to "deepen cooperation" on some critical challenges, such as combating climate change, protecting maritime resources and advancing resilient and inclusive economic growth, according to the White House.

"As a Pacific nation, the United States has deep historical and people-to-people ties with the Pacific Islands, and this visit – the first time a sitting U.S. President has visited a Pacific Island country – further reinforces this critical partnership," it said.