Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 5 September 2015/ ACP: The Secretary General for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States H.E. Dr. Patrick Gomes will address leaders of 15 Pacific ACP member states next Tuesday in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where regional representatives have gathered for the 46th Pacific Island Leaders’ Forum to be held from the 7th – 11th September.

On Tuesday, 8th September, ahead of the main plenary sessions, Dr. Gomes will speak at the Pacific ACP leaders’ meeting on issues related to programming the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), the Pacific-EU Economic Partnership Agreements, and perspectives on the future of the ACP Group and ACP-EU relations after 2020. He is also scheduled to intervene at the plenary session of the 46th Leader’s Forum the following day.
Upon his arrival to Papua New Guinea on the 5th, Dr. Gomes had the opportunity to discuss various areas of cooperation in a dinner meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister of Papua New Guinea, Hon. Rimbink Pato (pictured below). The Secretary General highlighted the active participation of Pacific Island missions in Brussels in representing the region’s interests as well as supporting the ACP Group as a whole.
The Secretary General is expected to meet with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Rt. Hon. Peter O’neill during the week, in addition to having bilaterals with other Heads of States and Government in the region.
The ACP Group, which includes 15 Pacific Island member countries out of a total of 79, has been an observer member at the Pacific Islands Forum since 2011. The region’s largest economy, Papua New Guinea, is scheduled to host the ACP Group’s 8th Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2016.
For more information and media requests in Papua New Guinea, please contact Ms. Josephine Latu-Sanft, latu@acp.int.