Officials from Papua New Guinea and the United States met in Hawaii last Friday to agree on establishing a sister city arrangement between Port Moresby and Long Beach, California.

Mr. Steven Enomb Kilanda, head of the Papua New Guinea delegation at the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Hawaii, along with board members Prof. Leo Marai and Dr. Michael Mel met with Susan Redfield, president of Sister Cities of Long Beach, California. The meeting took place at the Hawaii Convention Centre in Honolulu, where they agreed in principle to sign the partnership deal.

Redfield conveyed that Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson is enthusiastic about building a partnership with Papua New Guinea. “Mayor Richardson is excited about this new partnership. Our two cities share vibrant similarities, including the strength of our cultures, music, and ports, as well as mutual concerns like the environmental impact of climate change on our coastal regions in the Pacific,” Redfield said.

Jun Wallech, a legislative fellow from Mayor Richardson’s office, added that Long Beach eagerly anticipates the development of this partnership in the coming months and years.

Kilanda stated that the signing ceremony would take place in Port Moresby in a few weeks once the documents were prepared. He emphasized the importance of seizing opportunities presented by the festival to foster relationships with international organizations and development partners in the Pacific region, aiming to elevate Papua New Guinea’s arts and cultural industry on the global stage.

Mr. Kilanda serves as the Executive Director for National Cultural Commission, the lead government agency for the country’s arts and cultural affairs. Prof. Marai, executive dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea, joined Kilanda as the acting board chairman of the National Cultural Commission. Dr. Mel is a member of the NCC Board.