PNG to increase US army presence

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill wants to increase the presence of the US military in the country.

Mr O'Neill on Tuesday met with the United States-Pacific Naval Commander, Admiral Samuel Locklear III, to discuss the US military presence in Papua New Guinea.

In a statement Mr O'Neill said the talks included his government's interest in increasing the US army presence in the country.

The pair also discussed training for PNG soldiers and US security assistance security during the 2018 Asia Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) Leaders' Summit in PNG.

"Admiral Locklear and I today discussed the possibility of increasing the US army presence in PNG, particularly its navy," Mr O'Neill said.

He said there will also be a training arrangement, where PNG soldiers will be trained by the US army, to aid capacity building.

"During our talks, Admiral Locklear, upon my invitation, further agreed to provide additional naval security support during the 2018 APEC Leaders' Summit, which will be hosted here in Port Moresby," Mr O'Neill said.