CANBERRA: Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have signed the Pukpuk Treaty, a mutual defense pact that elevates their relationship to a formal alliance.

The treaty was signed on Monday at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia.

Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese (Australia) and James Marape (PNG) formalized the agreement, which mandates that both nations come to each other’s aid if attacked and allows Australia access to PNG military facilities for greater cooperation.

While PM Marape stressed the pact was a natural extension of their historical ties, experts view it as a direct strategy to strengthen regional security amid concerns over China’s growing influence in the Pacific.

The deal reinforces Australia’s security network in the region.

In addition to military integration, the treaty offers a pathway for up to 10,000 PNG citizens to enlist in the Australian military, with the possibility of gaining Australian citizenship.

Despite some domestic concerns in PNG that the treaty may affect its neutral foreign policy stance, the pact is a defining moment for regional security.

The Pukpuk Treaty formally makes Australia and PNG defense allies, establishing their first-ever mutual defense commitment and granting Australia strategic access to PNG bases, while creating long-term pathways for military collaboration, personnel exchange, and joint training programs designed to strengthen the Pacific’s regional security framework.