Directorate General of Bina Adwil Leads the Indonesian Delegation to the 39th Meeting of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea JBC in Port Moresby

JAKARTA - The Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of Papua New Guinea have successfully agreed to the ratification of the results of the 2020-2024 RI-PNG State Border Demarcation Survey and agreed to the commencement of the review of the 1993 Special Arrangement and the 2013 Basic Border Agreement. The agreement was reached at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Joint Border Committee (JBC) RI-PNG in 2025.

The 39th JBC RI-PNG Meeting was held on 16-18 December 2025 at APEC Haus, Port Moresby, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea, with the Government of Papua New Guinea as the host. The Directorate General of Regional Administrative Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, acts as the Focal Point for the JBC RI-PNG Meeting.

Director of Regional, Urban, and Border States, Dr. Drs. Amran, MT, as the Head of the RI Delegation, emphasized the importance of this annual meeting in producing concrete achievements to strengthen the sustainable management of the Indonesian-Papua New Guinea border area.

"All members of the delegation who attended the representatives of various Ministries and Regional Governments at this trial sought to produce significant progress on various important agendas in the management of borders in a good way and also seek to encourage the welfare of the people of the two countries in the border area," said Amran.

The series of activities began with a speech by the Head of the Delegation of the two countries, followed by the 37th Meeting of the Joint Technical Sub-Committee on Survey and Demarcation of the Boundary and Mapping of the Border Areas (JTSC-SDM) on December 16, 2025. This technical meeting discusses the results of the Joint Densification Survey 2020-2024, mapping of border areas, maintenance of boundary pillars, and monitoring of changes in the Fly River course. The Indonesian delegation at this meeting was led by the Director of the Defense Region of the Ministry of Defense, First Admiral TNI Anis Rusdiyono.

Furthermore, on December 17, 2025, the 19th Border Liaison Meeting (BLM) was held which discussed the development of border areas, cross-border cooperation, information exchange, and the plan to hold the 20th BLM in Indonesia. The culmination of the activities was held on December 18, 2025 through the 39th JBC RI-PNG Meeting which was attended by representatives of relevant ministries/institutions and local governments, with the Director of Legal and Regional Agreements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Co-Chair of the RI Delegation.

During the meeting, the two countries also discussed other strategic issues, including the need for a technical agreement on the repatriation of the kina currency used in cross-border trade activities. Through this meeting, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea confirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, resolving border issues through dialogue and cooperation, and continuing programs that are in line with the needs of border communities.

"Indonesia is committed to continue to increase cooperation with Papua New Guinea, both in the clarification of territorial boundaries, the development of border areas, as well as economic and humanitarian cooperation," concluded Amran.