Wingti aims

for peace

PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Paias Wingti has told the Melanesian

Spearhead Group’s summit confer

ence in Auki, Solomon Islands, that his government was determined and committed to work with the leader ship of the Bougainville Revolution ary Army to bring about a peace settlement.

In PNG’s first statement to an international forum on the Bougain ville conflict, Wingti said his govern ment was satisfied with the progress made so far for a negotiated settle ment at talks between senior officials representing the government, the BRA and Bougainville peace groups.

He said he was confident that the next level of dialogue with secessionist leaders such as Sam Kauona and Joseph Kabul would set an agenda and timetable for a peace settlement at “the highest political level”.

Wingti renounced any threats or suggestions by previous PNG govern ments to deal with BRA members, including its leaders, and said his government would only act within the due process of law. The prime minis ter reaffirmed that the PNG govern ment was working towards the estab lishment of a South Pacific peacekeep ing force to oversee the Bougainville peace conference.

He expressed thanks to the govern ments of Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Sol omon Islands, Australia and New Zealand for their offers to assist in the co-ordination and financing of a

regional peacekeeping force.

Meanwhile, a report carried by PNG national radio said there was still some uncertainty whether Wingti would agree to a meeting with a high

level secessionist delegation wanting

to talk to him in Honiara after the summit. D