Fruitful results achieved through ties: PNG FM

Video by Wang Haolan

Calling Shenzhen a modern and vibrant city that serves as a template for other cities, Papua New Guinea (PNG) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Justin Tkatchenko applauded the fruitful results that PNG’s capital city Port Moresby and Shenzhen have yielded as friendship cities over the years.

Tkatchenko made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Shenzhen Daily after meeting with Shenzhen Mayor Qin Weizhong on Friday.

Justin Tkatchenko in an exclusive interview with Shenzhen Daily.

“It’s a real modern city and sets a template for all of us. And that’s why Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea, and our governor Powes Parkop chose Shenzhen to be our sister city,” Tkatchenko said.

“Because we have so much to gain, which we’ve already had, so much to learn and benefit for being a sister city with Shenzhen,” the diplomat added.

This year marks the seventh anniversary of the friendship city relationship between Shenzhen and Port Moresby. According to Tkatchenko, the two cities have achieved remarkable results in their partnership, and he looked forward to bringing the relationship to another level.

“Shenzhen and Port Moresby have had a very successful sister city relationship that is continually growing every year. We are going to build up this relationship bigger and better,” he said.

Tkatchenko mentioned that the Butuka Academy, the PNG and China Friendship School, which was built with assistance of Shenzhen, is an epitome of the fruitful cultural exchanges between the two sides.

“The school of excellence educates over 3,800 Papua New Guinean children every year. At the same time, we have teachers who teach Mandarin to Papua New Guineans in grades 6, 7, 8 and 9,” Tkatchenko said, adding that education is the key to success in any society and having an educated society is having a prosperous society.

The foreign minister also visited and interacted with students at the Shenzhen Futian Experimental Education Group Hanlin School on Friday morning. The school established a friendly cooperation partnership with the Butuka Academy in 2021.

“It was so inspiring to see those young Chinese students sing and create beautiful drawings of our birds of paradise and writing beautiful letters to their pen pals at the Butuka Academy,” Tkatchenko said, emphasizing the importance of people-to-people exchanges.

Tkatchenko said Shenzhen has contributed to the development of Port Moresby. “For me, I’m very proud that this relationship between Shenzhen and Port Moresby has really shown what can be achieved if we all work together.”