Papua New Guinea (PNG) is still committed to providing the funding assistance to Vanuatu to support its infrastructure rehabilitation needs. That was the message conveyed by PNG’s Foreign Minister, Justin Tkatchenko when he met with the Vanuatu Prime Minister (PM), Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, on Holy Thursday at the margins of the 2024 MSG Budget Foreign Ministers Meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Apart from main bilateral matters discussed, Minister Tkatchenko reassured the Vanuatu PM that relevant PNG Government authorities are now working on sending the K10 million assistance to Vanuatu for the rehabilitation of the Kumul Highway that was pledged by the previous PNG government. The Kumul Highway is the main highway which passes through the heart of the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila. This stretch of road was given the name as a tribute to the PNG Defence Force, which helped Vanuatu’s first Prime Minister, Father Walter Lini, suppressed the secessionist movement on Santo in 1980, paving the way for Vanuatu to gain its independence. PM Salwai expressed appreciation to the PNG Government for the K10 million assistance towards his government and also expressed his government’s strong desire to venture into technical cooperation with PNG in the areas of Air Service Agreement, and education scholarship programs for Vanuatu students particularly for nurses/doctors and engineers to be trained in PNG tertiary institutions. Minister Tkatchenko acknowledged the desire to elevate level of the bilateral engagement and indicated PNG’s intention to elevate its diplomatic representation in Vanuatu to a Consul General status with an office to be established in Port Vila in the near future. In closing, Tkatchenko verbally extended an invitation from PM James Marape to PM Salwai to visit PNG during the visitation of His Holiness Pope Francis in September and added that a formal invite will be sent to all Pacific Island Leaders in due course.