Australia–Papua New Guinea relations
Australia |
Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| High Commission of Australia to Port Moresby | High Commission of Papua New Guinea to Canberra |
| Envoy | |
| High Commissioner Ewen McDonald | High Commissioner John Kali |
Papua New Guinea is Australia's closest neighbour (roughly 3.75 km separates the two countries at Saibai Island in the Torres Strait) and a former territory of Australia. Both nations share the same continent in the Oceania region. Papua New Guinea has developed much closer relations with Australia than with Indonesia, the only country which it shares a land border with. The two countries are Commonwealth realms. In contemporary times, Papua New Guinea is one of the largest recipients of Australian aid. Some critics have pointed to instances where this has led to an outsized Australian influence on Papua New Guinea politics.